SC bans production and use of endosulfan
SC bans production and use of endosulfan
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday imposed a nation-wide ban on the manufacture and use of the insecticide endosulfan, pending an expert committee report.
Endosulfan is a cheap chemical used by farmers across the country.
A bench comprising chief justice S.H. Kapadia and justices Swatanter Kumar and K.S. Radhakrishnan passed the ban invoking the court’s powers under Article 21 of the constitution, which upholds the right to life of citizens above all else.
"We are not going by public opinion. We are going strictly by the law laid down by this court. Ultimately, human life is above all else," Kapadia said.
On Wednesday, the court had strongly indicated that it would impose the ban, but allowed time for manufacturers, farmers and exporters to be heard.
Two committees headed by the director general of the Indian Council of Medical Research and the agriculture commissioner, respectively, have been directed to jointly submit jointly an interim report in eight weeks. The expert report is to contain an all-India study of the effects of endosulfan on the human body and the environment.
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