CPCB recommends deep soil analysis to probe endosulfan contamination

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has recommended drilling up to 80-100 feet deep to probe the complaint of alleged dumping of endosulfan in an abandoned well at a farm in Minchina Padavu, a village in Kerala, adjacent to Karnataka border.

The CPCB collected soil and ground water samples from the open well in a 40-hectare plantation farm run by the Plantation Corporation of Kerala (PCK) Ltd. The NGT’s southern zone bench has taken up a complaint by Udupi-based activist Ravindranath Shanbhogue who alleged that unused endosulfan was dumped into the open well in the past.

A CPCB team which inspected the plantation found that the abandoned well was filled up except for the two-foot depression. A composite soil sample at one-foot depth was collected for further analysis of endosulfan, if any.

“Since the dumping/disposal of used endosulfan barrels started to happen in 2013 and due to natural attenuation/degradation of pesticide residue finding the traces of pesticide in the collected ground water and soil matrix is most unlikely now. However, to know the present level of contamination from such alleged dumping in the past, three ground water samples from open wells were collected by the CPCB team,” J Chandra Babu, Regional Director of CPCB submitted to the NGT.

The CPCB team also visited the taluk health centre, Puttur and took note of the details of the endosulfan use. The pesticide was used from 1980 to 2000 at the cashew plantations with 2,547 hectares of land subjected to aerial spray and 476 hectares ground spray.

As per the data from Dakshina Kannada district, as many as 4,728 people were identified as victims of endosulfan of which 364 have expired. The CPCB quoted the taluk health officer as stating that various disability parameters were used to identify the victims born after 1981.

Earlier, the Kerala State Pollution Control Board had submitted to the NGT that the analyses of samples from affected areas nearer to the plantation have shown that the traces of alpha and beta endosulfan were below the detectable levels.

The CPCB recommended that PCK Limited should carry out soil analysis once in a year and water quality analysis once a month in cashew plantation area. It said the five closed wells located within the plantation  should be assessed for presence of endosulfan or contaminants at least up to the depth of 80 to 100 feet through drilling under the supervision of a committee.

“If any contamination is found, environmental compensation may be estimated for damage caused due to improper disposal of endosulfan/used endosulfan barrels by PCK Ltd,” it said.

A senior official told DH that they expect to present the findings of the soil test analysis before the NGT by next hearing.

Further, if contamination is observed, the contaminants need to be dug, lifted and transported for safe disposal in a scientific facility, it added.

A bench of Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana and expert member Satyagopal Korlapati has directed the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board to file a report along with the relevant orders of the Karnataka High Court on the endosulfan issue. The matter has been posted to January 31.