The Hindu Business Line : `Pesticides exposure can affect mental development of kids': Greenpeace India

The study, which was carried out from April to December last year, covered 18 villages in six cotton-growing States — Gujarat, Punjab, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

Thiruvananthapuram , April 30

A STUDY by Greenpeace India, the Indian arm of the international NGO, has stated that children constantly exposed to pesticides are affected by serious mental development disorders.

Presenting the highlights of the study titled `Arrested development' at a press conference in the city on Friday, Ms Tangama Monappa and Mr Sanjiv Gopal of Greenpeace said the report reveals that exposure to small doses of pesticide has impaired analytical abilities, motor skills and concentration and memory of children in the areas that were studied.

In light of these findings, the organisation has demanded that the Government adopt a rational pesticide policy and ban all pesticides, starting with those banned in other countries.

Similarly, the organisation has also demanded that the Government provide greater support to organic farming and other agricultural practices that do not use pesticides or genetically engineered agricultural inputs.

The study, which was carried out from April to December last year, covered 18 villages in six cotton-growing States — Gujarat, Punjab, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

The decision to study cotton-growing regions was taken because of the fact that cotton cultivation in most parts of the country implies intensive and high use of a cocktail of pesticides, explained Ms Monappa.

In addition to this, cotton is a crop for which cleaner and safer farming alternatives exist, she added.

The Greenpeace study adopted a `comparative' approach, under which the development of 899 children exposed to pesticides was studied in comparison to the development of a `control group' of 749 children who were similar in all respects to the children in the study area.

While some of the children were in the 4-5 age group, others were in the 9-13 age bracket.

A rapid assessment tool, based on a `play' approach, was administered to both sets of children, Ms Monappa said. The 20 tests that were a part of the tool were used to assess the children's development against standard indicators.

The results of the `study' group were compared against those of the `control' group, she added.

The organisation is also in the final phase of its `vote for a clean planet' campaign intended to bring environmental issues onto the political agenda, said Mr Gopal.

The campaign, which has already covered Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, will end in Kerala, he added.

The campaign urges voters, especially youngsters, to use their vote as a tool to insist that environmental issues are included in the election manifestos, explained Mr Gopal.

For instance in Kerala, candidates of the United Democratic Front (UDF) and the Left Democratic Front (LDF) contesting from Kochi have made environment-related commitments during a `meet the candidate' programme organised by Greenpeace.

So while the UDF candidate agreed to health and medical insurance for people from Eloor in Kochi who have been affected by pollution, the LDF candidate committed to an `action plan', to reduce pollution on the Periyar river, he added.

More Stories on : Environment | Pesticides | Children & Parenting | Kerala

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