Activist Alleges CPCB Cover-up on Endosulfan in Kasaragod

Udupi: Dr Ravindranath Shanbhogue, president of the Human Rights Protection Foundation (HRPF), has accused the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) of misleading the public and the National Green Tribunal (NGT) regarding the presence of toxic endosulfan in Minchinapadavu, Kasaragod.

Speaking to the press on Monday, Dr Shanbhogue alleged that the CPCB’s report, due for submission to the NGT on December 2, is based on superficial soil and water testing without examining deeper contamination. He reiterated claims that 600 litres of endosulfan were unscientifically dumped in a well within the Plantation Corporation of Kerala (PCK) area, potentially polluting groundwater in nearby Karnataka villages, including Nettanige.

Citing a 2013 video testimony by retired PCK security staff Achuta Maniyani, Dr Shanbhogue said the chemicals were buried on PCK’s instructions. “Twelve years of rainfall might have erased surface traces, but digging deeper would reveal the truth,” he insisted, warning that dissolved cans could pose severe health risks.

Dr Shanbhogue pointed out that Nettanige, though unaffected by spraying, has seen 113 children born with physical disabilities, underscoring the severity of the contamination. He also criticised the lack of transparency over the disposal of leftover endosulfan after the Supreme Court banned its production and sale in 2011.

The activist intends to present his concerns in person at the NGT hearing in Chennai on December 2.