Endosulfan meeting

the committee constituted by the Union agriculture ministry to look into the endosulfan tragedy in Kerala has reviewed the controversial O P Dubey committee report on the crisis. The committee held its second meeting on November 5, 2004. The Dubey committee report said that endosulfan was not the cause of the health problems in Padre village in Kasaragod, Kerala. Down To Earth (DTE) had exposed the flawed verdict of the Dubey committee (see: 'Lies, Damn Lies and Endosulfan', Down To Earth, April 15, 2004).

The three-member committee is headed by agriculture commissioner C D Mayee. The other two members are K R Jyothilal, director of agriculture, Kerala and S R Gupta, deputy director general, prevention of food adulteration, Union ministry of health. "The second meeting discussed various reports on the crisis, including those of the National Institute of Occupational Health and the Dubey committee. Members said the two reports were contradictory. They agreed that endosulfan is a carcinogen and is genotoxic. They will submit their comments before the next meeting and the recommendations would be finalised in another meeting after about 15 days," sources said.