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Kerala: Endosulfan Victims Agitate Over Long-Pending Demands, Allege Govt's Neglect
Writer: Rakshitha R
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Kerala, 31 Jan 2021 8:32 AM GMT
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The Endosulfan victims have again started their agitation raising their long-pending demands of inclusion of all victims in the list of beneficiaries, adequate compensation, and medical facilities in Kasargod district.
The Endosulfan victims have again started their agitation for their long-pending demand to include all victims in the list of beneficiaries, adequate compensation and medical facilities in Kasargod district.
The parents of endosulfan victims protested in front of the Kasargod district collectorate on Saturday alleging that the Kerala government is yet to fulfil their demands despite an indefinite stir in front of the office of Secretariat, reported Deccan Herald.
They also warned that they would again start their demonstration in front of the Secretariat office if the government continues the neglect them.
Ambalathara Kunhikrishnan, leader of an action council of endosulfan victims, said over 1031 endosulfan victims were yet to be included in the government's endosulfan victims' list.
The government was supposed to conduct a medical camp to consider them, but it did not happen for two years now, he said. Even after the Supreme Court ordered compensation of ₹5 lakh to each victim in 2017, nearly 4000 of the 6,730 odd victims were yet to be given any compensation, he added.
The mothers of the endosulfan victims who were a part of the demonstration on front of collectorate office lamented over poor health infrastructure of the district.
"Despite having hundreds of endosulfan victims suffering by mental and physical deformities, the district still doesn't have a neurologist or trauma care facility," said Kunhikrishnan.
Endosulfan is a pesticide developed in 1954 and is highly toxic to human health and the environment.
The cashew plantations in Kasargod district in Kerala used the pesticide in the 1980s and 90s.
It is now over 15 years now since the aerial spraying of endosulfan over cashew plantations was stopped and later banned in Kasaragod, Kerala after hundreds of individuals were affected in permanent ways in exposed villages.
In Muthalamada, the mango city in Kerala, the aerial spraying of the pesticide had affected over 180 people of which at least 77 had a chronic illness.
The Supreme court in 2017, had also directed the Kerala government to pay ₹500 crores in three months as compensation for 5,000 victims of the use of this pesticide. The SC bench headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar also asked the state to consider setting up a medical facility to provide treatment to victims.
According to multiple news reports, Kerala has earmarked over ₹180 crores as compensation to victims. The state has paid cash compensations ranging from ₹5-2 lakhs.
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