Exports to be routed through public sector undertaking Hindustan Insecticides and two other companies
The Supreme Court has permitted 34 pesticide manufacturers and formulators to export the existing stock of endosulfan formulations in their possession. Earlier, a court-appointed committee had pointed out that 2,698.56 kilolitres of endosulfan formulations are lying in stock as unsold inventory. The Pesticides Manufacturers and Formulators Association of India (PMFAI) have been seeking permission to export the stock.
The three judge bench, on December 13, said the three main manufacturers of the pesticide—Hindustan Insecticides Limited (HIL), Excel Crop Care and Coromandel International—will meet and decide the existing quantity of endosulfan formulation which each of the three companies could dilute, repackage and export. HIL, a public sector undertaking, shall communicate the same to the PMFAI. The rest of the 31 manufacturers will then hand over their respective stocks to the three main exporters. But the first preference will be given to Hindustan Insecticides—any amount beyond that will then be distributed to Excel Crop Care and the remaining to Coromandel Intermational. The cost of repackaging and export will be borne by the manufacturers who want their formulations to be exported. The court emphasised that proper precautions should be taken while packaging and exporting the pesticide.
The court also clarified that the permission to export formulations in no way is an approval to manufacture more endosulfan. It reiterated that the ban on manufacture, sale and use of endosulfan imposed on May 13 this year continues. On September 30, the court had allowed the exports of endosulfan for which orders had already been received. But in November the respondents, Pesticides Manufacturers and Formulators Association of India (PMFAI), asked for permission to export the remaining stocks of 2,698.56 kilo litre of formulations, which are made by combining raw endosulfan and other chemicals.
The next hearing is scheduled for January 20, 2012.
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