Kicking off a weeklong programme organised in connection with
the International Day of Action against Persistent Organic
Pollutants (POPs) at Sankhumughom Beach today, thousands of signed
petition cards reading "India ratify the POPs treaty" were sent to
Sri T R Baalu, Minister for Environment and Forests. The community
unraveled a large Earth-balloon with a 40 feet banner exhibition on
POPs. Also part of the programme was the screening of "Drum-beats
for Mother Earth", a fascinating film on the deadly role of these
chemicals in eroding the integrity of life on Earth. Produced by
the Indigenous Communities Environment Network and Greenpeace, this
film, dubbed in Malayalam, will be widely screened in Kerala in the
coming months.
POPs are a class of synthetic toxic chemicals that cause severe
and long-term effects on wildlife, ecosystems and human health.
They are persistent in the environment and are toxic even at very
low concentrations. Acknowledging the all pervasive dangers posed
by these chemicals to public health, the World Health Organisation
(WHO) General Assembly asked countries all over the world to
jointly take action to address the issue. The United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP) led the negotiations and adopted the
Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants on May 23rd
last year.
"I come from Eloor, the largest industrial estate in Kerala,
with daily gas leaks and heavy pollution. This simmering Bhopal has
led to despair and disease in every home I know. Treaties like the
POPs treaty, which aims to eliminate these poisons from the earth,
are our only hope," said V J Jose, community activist from
Eloor.
Accepting the petitions from the communities, the Executive
Director of Greenpeace, Ananthapadmanabhan said: "These 'poisons of
greed' are responsible for the distress of communities all over
India. Indians are potentially one of the most exposed populations
to these deadly chemicals. The POPs treaty is the manifestation of
the growing global institutional support for the struggle of these
communities. It is in our own national interest that we ratify this
treaty NOW."
More and more countries are joining the ratification process.
The communities felt that India must take the lead in the
ratification, so that we can counter the menace of dumping of toxic
chemicals and technologies from multinational corporations of
'developed' countries.
"POPs chemicals contaminate our homes, poison our children and
our future. A consumerist state like Kerala is all the more at risk
as these chemicals find their way into the food that we consume in
our homes and through the numerous products that we use. Only a
large global action like this treaty can stop this," said C
Jayakumar of Thanal, a Public Interest Research Organization, which
coordinates the focal points for the International POPs Elimination
Network (IPEN). The International Day of Action on the First
Anniversary of the POPs Treaty on May 23, 2002 was called for by
IPEN, a network of 400 organisations from countries all over the
world.
The week of activities planned by Thanal and Greenpeace includes
a Childrens' Assembly on POPs and a public exhibition. The activity
will peak in Delhi with the submission of the petitions by the
Greenpeace Executive Director to the Minister of Environment and
Forests, Shri T R Baalu, on the anniversary of the treaty , the
23rd of the month.
Notes:
1) Eloor in Kochi, Kerala was declared the 35th Global Toxic
Hotspot by Greenpeace during their Toxic Free Asia Tour, 1999 after
a study found area to be contaminated with deadly organochlorines
like DDT and metabolites, Endosulfan and derivatives, BHC etc. (For
more details : Toxic HotSpots : A Greenpeace Investigation of
Hindustan Insecticides Limited, Udyogamandal, Kerala).
2) The POPs Treaty aims at international action to protect human
health and the environment through measures, which will reduce
and/or eliminate emissions and discharges of persistent organic
pollutants aiming towards ultimate elimination of the same. The
process starts with global action against the "Dirty Dozen"
chemicals .For the text of the Stockholm Treaty: www.unep.org.
3) Dirty Dozen chemicals are Hexachlorobenzene, Mirex,
Chlordane, DDT, Endrin, Toxaphene, Heptachlor, Aldrin, Dieldrin,
PCB's, Dioxins and Furans.
4) Aerial spraying of a pesticide Endosulfan in the Cashew
Plantations of Plantation Corporation of Kerala in Kasaragod. For
25 years, every year pesticide was sprayed 2-3 times. (For more
details : Long-term effects of Aerial spraying of endosulfan in
Kasaragod: Report by Thanal)
For more information:Sanjiv Gopal, Toxic Campaigner -
08051154861
Email id: 
For more information:Manu Gopalan, Toxics Campaigner -
9811608036
Email id: 