THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A rapid assessment of the effects of Endosulfan on cashew plantations, ecology, biodiversity and the people in Kasaragod, conducted by V.S.

KOCHI: State Pollution Control Board has started collecting samples from the Periyar River to ensure the water quality based on a directive by the Kerala High Court that it should hand over one set of sample to the National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST) at Thiruvananthapuram for a period of 60 days beginning from Monday.

Board Chairman K.

Isaac calls for ban on all dangerous pesticides
Surendran Pillai terms Indian stance questionable
ALAPPUZHA: The over usage of chemical fertilizers in the State's plantations and paddy fields has made regions like Kuttanad a waste bin of pesticides, Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac has said.

Inaugurating an anti-Endosulfan protest at the district collectorate here on Monday, Dr.

Hundreds of people come together to press for an immediate nation-wide ban on the pesticide
Demonstrations, signature campaigns held as part of Anti-Endosulfan Day observance
India should stand with the call for Endosulfan ban at the Stockholm Convention: Sudheeran

Thrissur: Hundreds of people, including environmental activists, health professionals, students, and social workers, got together

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Agriculture Minister Mullakkara Ratnakaran wrote to Union Minister of Agriculture Sharad Pawar on Wednesday urging him to initiate urgent action to ban the manufacture and use of Endosulfan and its formulations under different trade names in the country and also to move the Stockholm Convention for a consensus to ban it world-wide. He spoke to The Hindu on his demand.

Survey of wetlands in six north Kerala districts reveals threat to bird diversity
KALPETTA: Habitat loss is posing a severe threat to the avian population in the major wetlands in northern Kerala.

KASARAGOD: The district, where Endosulfan has wreaked havoc on lives in 11 panchayat areas, will witness massive agitations from Monday to mount pressure on the Union government to vote against the use of the deadly pesticide at the Conference of Parties to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants in Geneva.

The district headquarters will see a series of agitations against the

Two-wheeler riders, traffic policemen among worst affected by vehicle emission
KOCHI: Automobiles and industries cause the maximum damage to air quality.

International meet on sustainable cities to begin today
Special session on the catastrophe in Japan
Stress on use of technology for governance
Thiruvananthapuram: As many as 280 delegates, including 83 from abroad, are expected to deliberate on the trends in urbanisation and the challenges before local self-government institutions at a four-day international conference on

Alternative too may pose health problems
But most are not persistent in environment
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Several alternatives exist for Endosulfan in the country though those opposing its ban ignore that.

An expert committee of the Central government had listed alternatives to Endosulfan for 47 out of 55 pests affecting 29 crops in Orissa in 2008-09.