The National Green Tribunal’s southern bench in Chennai has issued notices to the Union Government, the Karnataka and Kerala State Governments and their respective pollution control boards, the Central Pollution Control Board, and the Kottayam-headquartered Plantation Corporation of Kerala (PCK), on a complaint of alleged illegal and unscientific dumping of endosulfan in the hilly area of Minchinpadavu in Kasaragod district of Kerala, which is near Nettanige-Mudnur village in Karnataka.
In the complaint, Ravindranath Shanbhogue, president of Udupi-based Human Rights Protection Foundation, had sought directions against the respondents, more so, against the PCK over alleged dumping of endosulfan in an abandoned well within the plantation area of PCK. The dumping has contaminated the ground water, which affected residents of Nettanige-Mundnur and adjoining villages downhill in Karnataka, he alleged.
Mr. Shanbhogue, who has been fighting for endosulfan victims, said endosulfan has been sprayed by PCK in cashew plantations at Minchinapadavu for over two decades. Following protests by environmentalists, the PCK discontinued spraying endosulfan in 2002. Spraying of endosulfan resulted in several children being born with mental and physical impairment. Among those severely affected included the neighbourhood of Nenjuparamba cashew plantations at Minchinapadavu.
In 2001, more than 600 endosulfan victims were found in four taluks of Dakshina Kannada. Mr. Shanbhogue launched awareness programmes on effects of endosulfan and other pesticides. Following a writ petition by Democratic Youth Federation of India, the apex court passed an interim order in May 2011 banning production, use and sale of endosulfan.
The PCK decided to dispose off its stock of endosulfan at different warehouses. They were sent to the PCK warehouse in Minchinapadavu.
In the first week of June 2013, Achuta Maniyani, the security guard at the warehouse, soon after his retirement, claimed to have disposed off containers of unused endosulfan in an abandoned well under the instructions of PCK officials.
Mr. Shanbhogue said water samples collected by Dakshina Kannada district officials from Nettinanige Mudnur, downhill of Minchinapadvu, revealed traces of endosulfan. As many as 36 endosulfan victims were found in Nettanige Mudnur and neighbouring Padvannor and Badagannur villages. As endosulfan has not been sprayed in these villages, there is strong apprehension that the endosulfan allegedly dumped in hillocks of Minchinapadavu of Kerala must had entered the groundwater of villages in Dakshina Kannada, which had affected the villagers.
Mr. Shanbhogue has sought direction by NGT to Kerala Government for safe and secure extraction of endosulfan cans from the abandoned well near Minchinapadavu hillocks. He has also sought directions to Pollution Control Boards of Kerala and Karnataka for carrying out ground water analysis in villages on the Karnataka-Kerala border that are adjacent to Nethanagi village of Kasaragod district.
On December 20, the bench of NGT southern zone comprising judicial member Pushpa Sathyanarayana and expert member Satyagopal Korlapati directed issuance of notices to all the seven respondents. They were asked to file appropriate reports after a spot inspection. Hearing of the case has been posted for January 2, 2024.
