An indefinite relay hunger strike by mothers of the endosulfan victims entered the third day on Wednesday.

Protesters sought speedy implementation of the National Human Rights Commission suggested relief and rehabilitation package for the families of victims. The agitation, spearheaded by the Endosulfan Satyagraha Samithi, began on Monday to put pressure on the administration to take swift measures to implement the rehabilitation package, samithi convener Ambalathara Kunhikrishnan said. The samithi was on an indefinite relay strike from April 20.

Agriculture Minister K.P. Mohanan told the Assembly on Monday that the government was willing to concede the demands of endosulfan victims.

The Minister was replying to the demands for grants for Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, and Stationary and Printing and other Administrative Services. Mr. Mohanan said mothers of the victims had decided to go ahead with their indefinite hunger strike despite the government promising to concede all their demands. It had already doubled the monthly assistance to them and decided to pay the compensation recommended by the National Human Rights Commission.

The Endosulfan Satyagraha Samiti will organise a relay hunger strike from June 25 as part of intensifying its agitation against delay in providing relief to victims.

The recent decision of the State government to disburse relief in tune with the recommendations of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) lacked clarity, the samiti said in a statement issued here on Sunday.“We have decided to intensify the two-month-old strike by resorting to a relay hunger strike in protest against the undue delay in implementing the comprehensive rehabilitation package,” samiti convener Ambalathara Kunhi Krishnan said

73.75 litres condense to 10 kg, bulk either evaporated or leaked out

Raising environmental and health concerns, officials repacking endosulfan in fresh vessels have found that the pesticide has either leaked out or evaporated from a corroded barrel kept at the Plantation Corporation of Kerala’s (PCK) Cheemeni estate. It came to the notice of the officials of the Pollution Control Board, Hindustan Insecticide Ltd., medical team, and the taskforce appointed by the district administration when they started to repack the banned pesticide on day three of ‘Operation Blossom Spring’ at the PCK warehouse at Cheemeni,

The first phase of the operation ‘Blossom Spring’ (endosulfan detoxification process) started at the Plantation Corporation’s godown in Periya here on Sunday.

The task force entrusted with the work including experts, medicos and other officials reached the spot early in the morning and started the procedure at around 11am and continued till 4.15pm.

New Delhi: The groundwater that most of Delhi relies on when water shortage leaves taps dry is probably far more contaminated than we can imagine.

Operation Blossom Spring first taken up at Periye

Authorities started the process of detoxifying endosulfan stocked in three warehouses of the Plantation Corporation of Kerala here on Sunday. Operation Blossom Spring was first taken up at the warehouse at Periye, transferring 914.55 litres of the pesticide in six corroded barrels to high-density polyethylene barrels. A team of personnel from Hindustan Insecticide Ltd. and the Kerala State Pollution Control Board and medical experts did the highly delicate transfer.

A two-day national seminar on endosulfan scheduled here from July 14 aims to free the district from all kinds of chemical and hazardous pesticides, P. Karunakaran, MP, has said.

No assurance on demand to write off bank loans

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Tuesday assured the Endosulfan Satyagraha Samithi that steps would be taken to address the problems faced by those suffering from mysterious diseases attributed to the spraying of the pesticide in the district.An eight-member team of the samithi, accompanied by four MLAs from the district, held talks with Mr. Chandy and Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president Ramesh Chennithala in Thiruvananthapuram on some crucial issues, including the need for swift implementation of the relief and rehabilitation package for the victims.