Southern States - Kerala   

CPI(M) stir against new pesticide

By Our Staff Reporter

KASARAGOD NOV. 11. The CPI(M) and its feeder organisations are gearing up to launch an agitation against the use of the new pesticide, `Round Up', being used in this part of the State The party has also voiced its protests against the proposal of the Karnataka Government to divert the Netravathi river.

According to the party, the fearful experience with the pesticide, Endosulfan, earlier had served as a warning to the people of Kasaragod. It wanted to highlight the evil effects of the new pesticide among the farmers through mass campaigns.

The party would also step up its agitation, which was planned as a symbolic one, in case its demand to ban the product was ignored.

Local party sources said the proposed diversion of the Nethravathi river would badly affect water resources in the district.

The Karnataka Government was reported to have decided to block the river at one of its origin-points and divert its flow to a different direction.

This would indirectly affect the water flow in its tributaries flowing in the district and ultimately cause severe drought conditions in the district, it pointed out.

The diversion of the Nethravathi river, as proposed by the Karnataka Government, would badly affect the water resources in the district. The depletion of water level in the district would affect agriculture in the district. As the diversion of the river would also harm the forest and forest land in the proposed channel, the people of Karnataka had also been protesting against the move, it said.

A recent meeting of the District Panchayat, where the CPI(M) is in power, had resolved to urge the authorities to stop using the pesticide. The resolution adopted by the council viewed that the pesticide, Round-up, a product of the U.S.-based Monsanto Corporation, had been banned in many countries as its ingredients were harmful to human health.

According to the CPI(M) district secretary K.Kunhikannan, the first phase of the agitation would be launched on November 15. The party proposed to hold evening dharnas at select places on November 15 and 30.

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