Ban Endosulfan Campaign

From the mid 1970s, the pesticide endosulfan has been aerially sprayed on a cashew nut plantation covering several villages in Kasargod District, Kerala State, India. People residing in the villages within the plantation have been afflicted with different kinds of illnesses which, according to the villagers, were not present before the cashew nut plantation started their operations.

People also noticed the death of fishes, honeybees, frogs, birds, chicken and even cows. In 1979, a farmer began to suspect that the pesticides being aerially sprayed in the plantation might have caused the deformities and stunted growth, which, he observed in 3 of his calves. A journalist reported the story warning that endosulfan, the pesticide used in the aerial spraying, might have been the cause. The story raised awareness among the people who started voicing out their complaints about health problems and environmental damage.

Over 3 decades of campaign in the affected Kasaragod district of Kerala has resulted in numerous studies, reports and fact finding missions. You can read more about the story of Kasaragod from www.endosulfan.in