COLANISATION'S DIRTY DOZEN

The Pollution Monitoring Laboratory (PML) of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) places in the public domain its analysis of the contents of 12 cold drink brands sold in Delhi. Three bottles of each of the 12 brands were purchased from markets across the city and analysed to see if they contained pesticides.

Pesticide residues in bottled water

There was a time in the recently liberalised past when people didn't quite know how to refer to a new product called drinking water. They would say 'bottled water' and 'mineral water' to freely refer to one or the other kind of water, perhaps meaning the same one. It used to be confusing. People were not used to drinking water that had to be bought. People were getting used to paying money to drink water. Paying more money for their water than they did for milk everyday.

“Reddy” remedies

Satwant Reddy committee: Report of the committee on the pesticide residue in packaged drinking water and packaged natural mineral water, March 25, 2003 • Setting standards • BIS should have a core group of scientists from various fields to keep track of recent scientific and technical developments in critical areas.

Notified, at last

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Notification, July 18, 2003 Prevention of Food Adulteration (1st Amendment) Rules, 2003 • Pesticide residues considered individually — not more than 0.0001 mg/litre (The analysis shall be conducted by using Internationally established test methods meeting the residue limits specified herein) • Total pesticide residues — not more than 0.0005 mg/litre (The analysis shall be conducted by using internationally established test methods meeting the residue limits specified herein)

In court

cell phone Ban In a ruling on May 7, 2007, the Supreme Court of the State of New York supported the department of education's (DOE's) ban on the use of cell phones in schools. Eight parents had sued the city calling the ban "irrational and unsafe". They claimed it intruded "on a parent's right to determine a child's care, custody and control". The DOE claimed that cell phones were disruptive and students used them to cheat. A group of parents are likely to appeal against the court's decision.

US Environmental Protection Agency allows organophosphates

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recommended phasing out carbofuran, a farm chemical, which is lethal to birds even in small doses. The agency has, however, approved continued use of 32 other widely-used insecticides, including malathion. All the approved insecticides are organophosphates and linked to cancer, fertility problems and damage to developing brains.

EPA bans lindane

The Environmental Protection Agency of the us has decided not to renew the registration of lindane, a highly toxic pesticide used to treat seeds of wheat, corn, oats, rye, barley and sorghum crops. In response, the manufacturers have agreed to cease sales in the us. Lindane is a chlorinated pesticide, much like ddt and similar compounds, which were outlawed in most of the world in the 1970s.

Gross violation

Serious violations of environmental norms by pesticide manufacturers came to our notice through this shocking account by researchers from the department of zoology, Delhi University. They visited Chinhat Industrial Area near Lucknow and found stark evidence of toxic waste containing residues of hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) being disposed of by the units through a drain and also at a dump some distance away.

Bottled water norms notified

The Indian government has notified new standards for pesticide residues in bottled water. The notification came on July 18, 2003, bringing the curtains down on a 6-month drama that had turned quite farcical.

We found to our horror