KOCHI, DECEMBER 22: The highly polluted Eloor industrial belt in Kochi, where public sector industries like Hindustan Insecticides Ltd, (HIL), Indian Rare Earths Ltd (IRE) and Fertilisers and Chemicals Travancore (FACT) are located, was on Thursday declared as a global toxic hot spot by Greenpeace International.The Greenpeace, which is here as part of its `toxics free Asia tour' also declared HIL at nearby Udyogmandal as a toxic hot spot for releasing persistent organic pollutants (POP)s in the environment, including DDT.Releasing to reporters a scientific survey documenting the release to the environment of contaminants resulting from the production of DDT and the scientific analysis of the water, sediments and soil samples collected from the polluted areas in the region near the HIL plant, Dr Kevin Bridgen, a Greenpeace scientist, said sediments collected 10 m downstream from the Kuzhikundum creek, into which HIL discharged its effluent, contained more than 100 organic compounds, 39 of which were organochlorines, including DDT and its metabolites.DDT and its metabolites were also found in the wetlands surrounding the Udyogamandal estate, he said adding the DDT could have adverse health effects, including disruption to the endocrine and reproductive systems. Dr Bridgen said as the pesticide poses a threat to the environment and to public health.While almost all the countries have banned DDT use India continued to manufacture DDT, claiming to cater only to its National Malaria Programme. Under the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), 12O countries are presently negotiating an International treaty to eliminate POPs. Twelve POPs, including DDT, nicknamed as the `dirty dozen', have been short-listed by the UNEP for global elimination of its production and use as part of a treaty which is likely to be finalised in the next two years.Dr Brigden said malaria now causes clinical symptoms in between 300 million and 500 million people each year. Between 1.5 million and 2.7 million die annually - mostly children under five years of age. Worldwide, the direct and indirect economic costs of malaria were estimated at $2 billion each year.Nityanand Jayaraman, Greenpeace's Asia Toxics Campaginer in India, said DDT must be phased out and alternative measurers must be found to combat malaria. The Greenpeace demanded that all governments must phase out manufacture and use of DDT as part of a global agreement on POPs while ensuring that malarial risk management was maintained and improved using alternatives means of vector control.
