Endosulfan - the Killer!!
Let us join together and fight to eliminate it completely from India!
Our mission is to get rid of the deadly chemical Endosulfan from India. We are part of an international movement to get governments ban this chemical from use.
Support our campaign for a global ban. We invite everyone to join our movement.
You can spread the word, write petitions / letters to the Government to ban the chemical or join the movement by signing our online petition.
Or, you can simply join the campaign by subscribing to the campaign news, periodic updates in this website.
The international meeting on POP chemicals (Stockholm convention, Conference of Parties) was held in Geneva from 25th of April.
Endosulfan was banned and work to phase out starts now.
Click here to read the Press Release of the global campaign
The decision to enlist endosulfan in Annexure A of the convention document for elimination happened on 29th April, 2011. Govt of India too nodded its head and gave its permission.
We thank the thousands of supporters who joined the campaign by sending petitions and bringing this to the attention of the global community and policy makers. It was a heart-warming show of solidarity by people across the world.
We thank each and every one of you.
Join the Movement
Click on the button above to find out how you can support the campaign.
You can subscribe to the Ban Endosulfan campaign by filling up the form given below
Thank you.
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 the campaign resources here.
Our campaign to get Endosulfan banned from India is strongly built on scientific studies and reports. There is a vast databank consisting of reports of fact-finding missions, videos, photographs, links to articles in leading newspapers and magazines.
First, you may like to read the detailed Dossier on the ‘Ban Endosulfan’ campaign 
(10.7 MB). Then, you can click on the quick links below to jump to the categories.
A Monograph on Endosulfan – All you want to know about Endosulfan
Available Alternatives to Endosulfan – collection of Farmers’ experiences.
Report on Health Effects on Endosulfan and progress of rehabilitation activities in Kerala.
Kerala CM, Achutanandan leads mass fast seeking ban on endosulfan on 25th April 2011. Click here to read about the protest
Evidence mounts against endosulfan as Centre dithers – Article in The Hindu April 3, 2011
Pawar on a sticky wicket after batting for toxic pesticide
Report in Mangalam (a Malayalam publication) on how Sharad Pawar, the Agriculture Minister of Government of India, misled the Parliament.
Brazil – Petition against endosulfan – Ban comes too late.
National Commission for Women asks Government of India to take steps to contain Menace.
Gazette Notification of Government of India – withholding sale of Endosulfan in Kerala.
Plan Document for Establishing a Comprehensive Relief and Remediation System for the Endosulfan affected community in Kasaragod.
The Proceedings of the Two Day Consultative Workshop On Developing a Comprehensive Relief and Remediation System for the Endosulfan affected community Organised by District Panchayath, Kasaragod, Kerala – A presentation.
Endosulfan Poisoning and the Struggle of the community in Kasaragod to regain life and the living land – A Presentation at the COP3 of Rotterdam Convention 2008.
Does Endosulfan have an Alternative? Non-Pesticidal Management – A large scale success story from Andhra Pradesh. .
India’s Endosulfan disaster – A review of the health impacts and status of remediation – to read the report by Dr.Aditya of Community health cell, Bengaluru.
Endosulfan – Fact sheet and Answers to common questions – An IPEN Working Group project (A comprehensive fact sheet on endosulfan produced by Thanal (India), 2004) :
End of the Road for Endosulfan – A Call for action against a dangerous pesticide ( A summary report by the Environmental Justice Foundation, London,UK, 2002) :
Long Term Monitoring – The Impact of pesticides on the people and eco-system – Part II Report( Preliminary Findings of the survey on the impact of aerial spraying of endosulfan on the people and ecosystem in Kasaragod, Kerala, India by Thanal (India),2002) :
Endosulfan poisoning in Kasaragod, Kerala, India – Report of a fact finding mission (A report by Dr Romeo F Quijano for the Pesticide Action Network-Asia Pacific, 2002) :
Analysis of samples from Padre village from Kasaragod district of Keralam for endosulfan residues ( A report by Padma S Vankar et al, for the Pesticide Residue Monitoring Study of the Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi, 2001) :
Final Report of the investigation of unusual illnesses allegedly produced by endosulfan exposure in Padre village of Kasaragod district ( N.Kerala) (A comprehensive epidemiological reference area study by the National Institute of Occupational Health of the Indian Council for Medical Research, Ahmedabad, 2002) :
Health hazards of aerial spraying of endosulfan in Kasaragod district, Kerala (A Comprehensive report of the Expert Committee appointed by the Government of Kerala, 2003. ) :
Effect of endosulfan in male reproductive development (An article by Dr Saiyed et al in the Children’s Health Section of the Environmental Health Perspectives, December 2003) :
Reports in the Down To Earth (Four separate reports in the Down to Earth, a publication of the Centre for Science and Environment. These reports expose the issue as well as the foul play by the government agencies and scientists of the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperation to help the industry protect their chemical endosulfan from being banned. )
newsCAPE, April 2005 Issue (A quarterly newsletter of the Community Action for Pesticide Elimination (CAPE). This issue talks about the endosulfan issue and its present status in detail.) :
Safeguarding children from pesticide exposure – lessons from the endosulfan tragedy in India (A presentation by Dr Sukanya et al, at the 3rd ICCHE, London, 2004) :
Children in Kasaragod (An appeal presentation released by Thanal, 2004) :
Position Paper of Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Asia and the Pacific on Endosulfan :
News in Mathrubhumi (Malayalam)
News in ‘Malayalam’ magazine (Malayalam)
News in Deshabhimani (Malayalam)
Thiruvamkulam Nature Lovers Movement v. Plantation Corporation of Kerala (2002.08.12), verdict banning aerial spray of endosulfan –
How to grow crops without endosulfan? PAN-Germany’s Field Guide to Non-chemical Pest Management –
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Endosulfan has been banned across 74 countries in all the continents after elaborate studies. In our own country Kerala and Karnataka have banned this chemical after finding health and environment damages.
You can join the campaign demanding our government to bring a nation wide ban on Endosulfan. To urge the the Ministry of Environment & Forests to support the International Ban on Endosulfan in the upcoming Stockholm Convention, you can become a signatory in our online petition.
It is our duty to ensure that the ministry does not succumb to the pressure of corporate lobby,as the chemical corporations are much worried about their profit than the safety of farm workers and consumers. Also, we as responsible citizens should be keenly watching the stand and proceedings both nationally and internationally till this toxic is phased out. Click on the links below to view and sign the petition.
Please remember to subscribe to the campaign news, periodic updates in this website.
1. Song from India Vision TV
Click on the image below to view the movie in a new window.
2. Animation Video
Pesticides worth more than 30 billion US dollar are intentionally released into the global environment every year. Many of these are highly toxic and have immediate adverse effects on human health, wildlife, local food sources such as cattle or fish, beneficial insects and biodiversity. Several of them have chronic effects including cancers, reproductive problems, birth defects, hormonal disruption and damage to the immune system. Impacts come from direct exposure in use, spray drift, washing work clothes used while spraying, home pesticide storage, pesticide dumps, and persistence in the environment. One of these highly problematic pesticides is Endosulfan.
Pesticide Action Network (PAN) is working towards reducing the overall use and risks of pesticides as well as the dependence on pesticides and to increase support for community-based control over a sustainably produced food supply. It has brought out a publication based on the information provided at www.oisat.org. It enables to provide farmers with practical guides to avoid the use of Endosulfan. The recommended practices are scientifically based. Most of the farm practices described in this publication, the farmers can do by themselves. The materials needed can be found in the backyards of farmers or in their kitchens or can be purchased in the local agricultural suppliers.
If you have anything to say about this website or our campaign, please send us a mail through this form. Meanwhile, don’t forget to subscribe to the campaign news and periodic updates in this website.
Thank you.
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