Government Takes Half A Step on Endosulfan

Note: ToxicsWatch Alliance (TWA) finds such a move of the Government of India to be an expression of tremendous pressure from the Endosulfan Manufacturers and Formulators which it failed to reisist to safeguard environmental health of present and future generation of Indian citizens.

Gopal Krishna
ToxicsWatch Alliance (TWA)
Endosulfan: India agrees to compromise on global ban

India has agreed to a compromise on global ban on endosulfan at the conference of parties to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants.

The support is subject to working out appropriate exemptions and alternatives, according to information received here.

The conference will consider the proposal for ban at its meeting on Friday. Observers say that the conference was most likely to approve the ban recommended by its Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee.

On Thursday, the Contact Group on endosulfan and new persistent organic pollutants had submitted its draft proposal on the ban to the plenary session of the conference. This proposal listed application against certain pests in 16 crops for exemption, most of which were demanded by India. The other nations which sought such exemption were China and Uganda.

At the session, Cuba wanted reference to financial and technical assistance to be incorporated into the draft decision on listing. Discussion of the matter has been deferred to Friday’s session.

29th April, 2011
The Hindu


India agrees to phase out pesticide endosulfan

NEW DELHI: India has agreed to phase out pesticide endosulfan. At the Geneva meet of the Stockholm Convention, currently underway, India's concern for the need to identify cost-effective and safe alternatives were accepted.

This means endosulfan will be listed in Annexe A of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants but exemptions will allowed for crop-pest combinations. It will allow India to continue to use this broad spectrum pesticide.

Chemicals listed in the Annex A of the Convention are banned for production and use due to the threat they pose to living beings, particularly the environment.

This will not come as good news for the Left parties or the Kerala government, both of which have been actively seeking an immediate nation-wide ban on endosulfan.

All exemptions sought by India have been accepted. The listing in the Annexe will take one year to be effective, and the exemptions are valid for five years, with the provision for renewal for another five years. Thus, making the time-frame for the global phase 11 years.

India's concern about the need to identify safe and cost effective alternatives to facilitate phase out of endosulfan are also being addressed. At the Geneva meet, the decision to include endosulfan in the Annexe will be adopted along with a decision asking the Technical POP (Persistent Organic Pollutants) Review Committee to undertake the work of identifying safe and cost effective alternatives. The review committee will report to the Conference of Parties.

This would mean that India can continue to use endosulfan as a broad spectrum pesticide for at least 11 years. While New Delhi' agreeing to this consensus formula will ease global pressure, it will not address the domestic pressure to ban the use of this broad spectrum pesticide. "I believe that the final outcome is a compromise we can live with and is something that ensures enough room for us to manoeuvre," Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said.

29th April, 2011
The Economic Times