Kozhikode: Agriculture Minister Mullakkara Ratnakaran has said that a comprehensive detoxification drive will be undertaken in the Endosulfan-hit Kasaragod district, with special focus on purifying water resources and fields contaminated by pesticides. The drive will formally be launched on December 3, he said, while inaugurating the four-day Malabar Agro Fest-2010 at Swapna Nagari in Kozhikode on Thursday.
Technical and financial support of the Central government would be sought for the successful completion of the drive. “A detailed project report is now being prepared by the State government as part of the efforts to make Kasaragod a pesticide-free district,” he cleared.
According to Mr. Ratnakaran, once the drive was completed Kasaragod would emerge as a model district in pioneering a mass movement against pesticides. Gradually, it would also grab the title of being the first organic district in the State, he claimed.
The Minister asked the Plantation Corporation of Kerala (PCK) to join the rehabilitation drive for Endosulfan victims by announcing their own packages.
The PCK Board should consider the proposal in its forthcoming board meeting, he said.
The Minister also urged the Centre to grant legal powers to the State government to ban the manufacture and trade of highly toxic pesticides.
The State governments should get monitoring powers for making strong interventions in the field, he said.
Source: The Hindu, 26-11-2010
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