The district administration will hold awareness classes on the detoxification of huge quantities of endosulfan pesticide kept in godowns of the Plantation Corporation of Kerala.

The classes would be conducted by experts in Pullur-Periye, Kayyur-Cheemeni and Panathady panchayats on May 22 and May 24, official sources here said. The experts would strive to clear all apprehensions of the public regarding the detoxification programme, which was a long standing demand of the people of the affected localities, they said.

For the first time in 20 years, federal health authorities have lowered the recommended limit for lead exposure in young children, which they say could add 200,000 children to those believed to have unsafe lead levels in their blood.

The new standard, announced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday and applicable to children under 6, lowers the threshold to 5 micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood, from 10 micrograms per deciliter.

High lead levels in young children have been found to affect cognitive development and may lead to a lower I.Q.

Expressing grave concern over the reports about manufacturing of “synthetic” milk emanating from various parts of the states close to the national capital, where supply of such milk could not be ruled out, the Supreme Court on Wednesday issued notices to the Centre and six states seeking reports on the issue.

A bench of Chief Justice of India S.H. Kapaidia and Justices A.K. Patnaik and Swatanter Kumar issued the notices to the Centre and states of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana and Uttarakhand asking them to file affidavits specifying action taken by them to check the supply of spurious milk and milk products within four weeks.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) will help transfer endosulfan kept in vessels that have corroded by now in the warehouses of the Plantation Corporation of Kerala in the district to fresh barrels, officials said.

The decision was taken at a meeting convened by District Collector V.N. Jithendran here on Monday. Agriculture Minister K.P. Mohanan was present. The first step to destroy the deadly pesticide, the transfer, to be completed this month, is expected to set at rest a fear among the local people that the old vessels will spring leaks.

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy reiterated here on Wednesday that the government would pay the compensation recommended by the National Human Rights Commission to the endosulfan victims in Kasaragod district.

Speaking to the media after a meeting of the Cabinet, the Chief Minister said that the Chief Secretary had been asked to examine all sides of the issue and submit a report for consideration of the Cabinet next week.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has summoned Kerala Chief Secretary to appear before it on June 11 along with the compliance report sought by the commission on its recommendations in the case of aerial spraying of hazardous pesticide endosulfan in Kasaragod district and its surrounding areas which resulted in health problems to people.

The IT and electronics industry insists that the entire collection mechanism of e-waste will need to be strengthened in order to make the new e-waste management rules effective.

The e-waste (Management & Handling) Rules, 2011, which were notified in May 2011, have come into effect from May 1, 2012 and people will now be required to dispose of their discarded electronic at designated centres.

NEW DELHI: The e-waste (Management & Handling) Rules, 2011 will come into effect from Tuesday. The rules were notified in May 2011 and aim at reduction in the use of hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment by specifying threshold for use of hazardous material including lead, mercury and cadmium.

These rules were notified in advance to give the various stakeholders adequate time to prepare themselves and also to put in place the required infrastructure.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has asked Chief Secretary K. Jayakumar to appear personally before it on June 11, if the State government fails to take action on the compensation recommended for endosulfan victims in Kasaragod district.

The Chief Secretary should file an action-taken report on the commission's recommendations before June 4, failing which he will have to appear before it. The commission has warned that it will approach the Supreme Court for enforcement of its recommendations if the government fails to pay the compensation.

Designated officer, 22 food safety officers appointed for district

Traders engaged in food business in the district were oriented to the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 here on Thursday. Chairing the meeting, Collector Jayashree Muralidharan pointed out that the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 had come into force across the country from August 5, 2011 and it was essential that all traders engaged in food business conformed to the provisions of the Act.