The Plantation Corporation of Kerala Limited (PCKL) chairman, Varghese George, has called upon the government to take necessary steps to pay compensation worth Rs 120 crore to the victims of Endosulfan in Kasargod as directed by the National Human Rights Commission.

Addressing a meet-the-press programme at Pathanamthitta Press Club on Wednesday, Dr. George said PCKL was not in a position to bear with such a hefty financial burden as it would badly affect the prospects of the corporation as well as its 4000-strong workforce and hence the government should pay the same to the affected people.

The Supreme Court on Monday allowed three weeks’ time to the Union Government to file its reply regarding the ban of endosulfan. The bench headed by Chief Justice S H Kapadia ordered the government to file its reply within three weeks at the court proceedings which lasted only two minutes.

The Kerala High Court on Wednesday held that the government of India should think of prohibiting the import, manufacture and use of asbestos to prevent health hazards. “Asbestos, including the fibre and its products, is banned in all developed countries as it is known to be hazardous to health and is one of the causes of lung cancer. So India should think of its prohibition,” the court said. The court also asked the Central Government and the Customs Commissioner to file a report in this regard.

GURGAON: In a bizarre move, the Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon (MCG) has decided to seal all the mobile towers in its jurisdiction with immediate effect, citing health hazards. This move is seen affecting mobile services particularly in the old city. While it's not clear what the health hazards caused by mobile towers are, this decision was taken unanimously during Friday's House meeting. There are a total of 502 mobile towers in the city out of which 298 are under the MCG's jurisdiction.

Years after the World Heath Organisation (WHO) recognised asbestos as one of the most significant occupational carcinogens (cancer-causing agents) and declared the need to eliminate its use, the Centre has commissioned a study to assess its environmental and health hazard in India. In 2006, the WHO had called for preventing the rise of asbestos-related diseases (ARDs) and estimated that globally, over 107,000 deaths annually are caused by these diseases, including asbestos-related lung cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis (acute respiratory disease).

Years after the World Heath Organisation (WHO) recognised asbestos as one of the most significant occupational carcinogens (cancer-causing agents) and declared the need to eliminate its use, the Centre has commissioned a study to assess its environmental and health hazard in India. In 2006, the WHO had called for preventing the rise of asbestos-related diseases (ARDs) and estimated that globally, over 107,000 deaths annually are caused by these diseases, including asbestos-related lung cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis (acute respiratory disease).

MUMBAI: The high level of radiation emitted by three unauthorized mobile towers atop Victor Shelter building poses a health hazard for neighbouring Nilesh society residents at Kandarpada in Dahisar (W), says IIT-Bombay professor Dr Girish Kumar. The radiation level in the New Nilesh society flat was measured by Wilcom Technologies Pvt Ltd, an IIT-B incubated firm.

The combined radiation measured in the living room, kitchen, master-bedroom and another bedroom, especially near windows, was very high, the researcher said.

MUMBAI: While the global debate over cellphone towers and ill-health will not be settled soon, activists and citizens' organizations are hopeful that the Centre's guidelines for setting up of these towers will set up healthy standards in India.
An inter-ministerial committee had, a few months back in the run-up to these guidelines, suggested that the radiation levels be brought down to one-tenth of existing levels.

New Delhi: Electromagnetic radiation from mobile towers must be brought down to one tenth of existing levels, an inter-ministerial committee has said, in the run-up to framing the country’s first guidelines in the matter.

India has around 4 lakh mobile towers and with 3G mobile telephony, an additional 1 lakh towers will be needed, according to Trai. The mobile base stations mounted on these towers emit radiation, feared to pose health hazards. The panel has urged continuous online monitoring and display of emissions and a national database of the stations

Toxic subsoil water causes skin diseases, other ailments. Influx of hazardous chemicals and other effluents in the Ghaggar has reached alarming proportions causing great damage to flora and fauna in the areas irrigated by distributaries originating from Ottu Weir near Rania town of the district.