No,this is not about the Bhopal gas leak, but what is still going on elsewhere in our country.Almost a third of the 10,000 people in three villages Kokkada, Nidle and Patrame in south Karnataka have abnormal health ranging from skin diseases,blindness,physical deformities,mental retardation,cancer and chronic allergies.The Karnataka State Cashew Development Corporation had leased 800 hectares to plant cashew, and conducted aerial spraying of pesticide every December from 1983 to 2000.Each round of spraying wiped out the insects, and other life forms in the vicinity.Even frogs died., and even though it was known that pesticide "endosulfan" in the late 1990s affected the life of people in Kasaragod,Kerala,and banned in the year 2000.! It never struck the Karnataka government until one of the village school teachers Sirdhara Gowda became visually impaired and guessed the cause after putting facts together. There was no scientific evidence to prove this, and he petitioned the authorities to no avail, since people are poor. So he started a campaign and around 12,000 postcards were sent to President Abdul Kalam and soon a health department survey proved this and then compensation was talked of leading to a dispute between payment by the Horticultural or Forest Department.The corruption in claimants,who gets it etc took center stage.Like in Bhopal, what is required is a comprehensive package for sustained Hi-Tech treatment and support that takes into account all the stake holders and care-givers as well.A government that is more interested in justice to the people, that can punish swiftly those responsible and act with compassion to help the victims rather than politicise, cover up and have wrong priorities! (Source The Week June6,2010. )
