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.

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 National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) will disburse Rs.35 crore to implement 165 projects as the first-phase relief and rehabilitation package for victims of diseases caused by the aerial spraying of endosulfan.

Rs.117-crore outlay. The decision comes as part of the Rs.117-crore outlay earmarked to implement as many as 224 projects for which administrative sanctions have been received.

A team of scientists from the University of Kerala; Central University, Kasaragod; and Natural History Museum, London, have reported the discovery of a new species of caecilian (limbless) amphibian from the southern region of the Western Ghats in Kerala.

Gegeneophis primus belongs to the Indotyphlidae family comprising African, Seychellean and Indian varieties. It is the first new species of Gegeneophis reported from Kerala since1964.

New Delhi: After objecting to the monorail system, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is now planning to build one it seems. Government sources said there were discussions between Delhi Metro and the Delhi government earlier last month about handing over the Shastri Park-Trilokpuri monorail project to DMRC. Delhi Metro will have a meeting with Bombardier in a few days to discuss monorail technology and, specifically, the 10.8km project set to come up in east Delhi, said a source.

The anti-endosulfan Campaign Committee, which had been in the forefront to campaign for and to coordinate relief and rehabilitation works for hundreds of the hapless families of endosulfan victims on Monday expressed utter dismay over the “farcical” assurance in the budget proposals to mitigate plight of the less fortunate lot.

KASARGOD: The Plantation Corporation Samrakshana Samithi has demanded withdrawal of the study report of the community medicine of the Kozhikode Medical College on the ‘Epidemiological Studies Related to Health in Endosulfan-affected Areas of Kasargod district’.

In a letter to the principal of the Kozhikode Medical College, the PCK Samrakshana Samithi state secretary M Gangadharan Nair said the report of the medical college, which was later submitted to the Supreme Court, led to the government demanding huge funds from the PCK.