Kerala banned the use of 15 pesticides in May this year. However, about a dozen pesticides which were either banned or severely restricted in other countries continue to be used in Kerala, C. Jayakumar of Thanal (an advocacy organisation campaigning against pesticides) told The Hindu. Moreover, several of the banned pesticides are still in use and some of the alternatives suggested officially are pesticides banned in other countries.

In Uddanam in Srikakulam district, an estimated 10,000 people have died in the last seven years of just one ailment

Studies were conducted on the occurence of metabolic mediated resistance in cotton aphid, Aphis gossypil to selected insecticides viz., endosulfan, monocrotophos, dimethoate, phosphamidon, carbaryl and cypermethrin using synergist TPP suppressible metabolic resistance even at 1:5 ratio in respect of monocrotophos and cypermethrin.