Supreme Court issues notice to Centre on plea to ban endosulfan

New Delhi, May 2 (ANI): The Supreme Court today sought a response from the Central Government on a petition seeking a countrywide ban on endosulfan pesticide.

An apex court bench comprising Chief Justice S H Kapadia and Justices K S Radhakrishnan and Swatanter Kumar, which issued notice to the Centre, asked Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium to remain present on the next date of hearing on May 11.

The verdict of the court came on a petition field by Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), the left-wing youth organization linked to the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), seeking a ban on production and sale of the controversial pesticide and sought its urgent hearing.

The DYFI has in its petition sought a direction to the Central Government to prohibit the sale of endosulfan in its present form or any other derivatives in the market.

It has submitted before the court that a large section of people were directly affected because of the use of endosulfan, already banned in 81 countries and its use not permitted in another 12 nations.

Giving examples of serious health hazards caused in Kerala's Kasaragod District, the petitioner said several studies had documented that endosulfan could also affect human development.

"Researchers studying children from an isolated village in Kasaragod district have linked endosulfan exposure to delays in sexual maturity among boys. Endosulfan is an off-patent organochlorine insecticide and acaricide. This colourless solid has emerged as a highly controversial agrochemicals due to its acute toxicity, potential for bio-accumulation, and role as an endocrine disruptor," the petition said.

(ANI)