New Delhi:
The Supreme Court today banned the manufacture and use of pesticide Endosulfan across India.
An expert panel headed by the Director General of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) will examine the ill effects of the pesticide on human beings and the eco system and will submit a preliminary report to the apex court within eight weeks.
The court will then decide whether to continue with the ban or lift it.
"We don't want even a child to suffer. Even if one child is suffering we don't want on our head. When a company starts business, it should look at the harm the products can do on human beings" the court observed today.
In a major change of position, India had on April 29 agreed to a phased out ban on Endosulfan at a convention held in Geneva. India is currently the largest exporter of Endosulfan in the world and it is widely used across states as it is about 15 times cheaper than other organic options.
Over 80 countries have banned Endosulfan, but India resisted it for the longest time, claiming there was no solid proof that it impacted human health.
But at the convention in Geneva, India was completely isolated, especially when China - also a user - supported a conditional ban. It received a further setback when the Food and Agriculture Association of the UN stated it is hazardous.