India's Supreme Court allows Endosulfan insecticide export

New Delhi, Dec 13 (PTI) The Supreme Court of India today allowedexport of unused stock of Endosulfan insecticide, while retaining the complete ban imposed by it on its production, sale and use in the country. While allowing the export, a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice S H Kapadia of the apex Indian court said the "dilution, packaging and export" of the agrochemical will be handled by state-owned Hindustan Insecticide Ltd. The bench also said its previous order of September 30 in which it had proposed a mechanism for packaging and export of the insecticide will be followed. The court, in the last hearing on December 9, had sought explanation from Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), the youth wing of Communist Party of India (Marxist), which has filed petition for ban on manufacturing of the insecticide, for objecting to the proposal for allowing the export. "Why do you want the poison to remain in the country? There should be common-sense approach. If it can be exported, then let it happen," the court had said. The bench had earlier on September 30 allowed the company manufacturing Endosulfan to export nearly 1,100 tonnes of the pesticide to meet their contractual obligations while maintaining the ban on its use and production. The court had on May 13 imposed a complete ban on production, sale and use of the pesticide in India holding that human life is more important than anything else and it did not want even a single child to suffer. The court's order had came on a petition filed by DYFI seeking a ban on Endosulfan on the ground that it was causing health hazards, including genetic disorders, in the southern Indian state of Kerala where it is widely used. The apex court had on August 5 asked an expert panel appointed by it to explore the possibility of exporting the unused stock of Endosulfan manufactured in the country. The expert committee had recommended its export. PTI