Endosulfan was sprayed aerially in cashew orchards in Kasaragod district of Kerala to control pests such as tea mosquito bugs.
The health effects of the spraying of endosulfan were evident in the people of 11 panchayats in the district, with the victims suffering from birth defects, physical disabilities, mental retardation, and gynecological problems.
[1] Endosulfan is an organochlorine insecticide and acaricide, which acts by blocking the GABA-gated chloride channel of the insect (IRAC group 2A).
These health problems have been reported mostly in panchayats like Enmakaje, Bellur, Kumbadaje, Pullur and Periye in Kasaragod district of Kerala.
[6] It is said that after almost 20 years of continuous aerial spraying of endosulfan pesticide in these panchayats, the local residents started succumbing to various diseases and deaths.
[7] On December 25, 1981, Evidence Weekly published a report on cows giving birth to calves with deformed limbs after aerial spraying of endosulfan in Enmakaje.
The health effects of the spraying of endosulfan were evident in the people of 11 panchayats in the district, with the victims suffering from birth defects, physical disabilities, mental retardation, cancer, and gynecological problems.
A rapid survey conducted by Vijayan and his team indicated that the use of the pesticide resulted in a 40 to 70 percent reduction in plant diversity in the area, and it affected native species, especially fish, being the most.
[20] Although a study by Calicut Medical College spot a high incidence of disease in Kasargod, according to a critique by Sreekumar and fellow entomologist Prathapan Divakaran, published in the journal Current Science, the levels of endosulfan in the blood of patients in the Calicut Medical College study appeared to have no correlation with the health of these patients.
[19] Leela Kumari Amma, an agricultural officer from village of Pullur in Kasaragod, was the first to approach the court regarding endosulfan ban.
[24] In January 2017, the Supreme Court of India ordered state government to give a compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to the victims of endosulfan.
[26] Arajeevithangalkkoru swargam (English: A Paradise for Half Lives) is a documentary film directed by M. A. Rahman that highlights the seriousness of the Endosulfan disaster.
[29][30] Valiya Chirakulla Pakshikal (English: Birds with Large Wings), a 2015 Malayalam drama film written and directed by Dr. Biju is also based on this incident.