Drinking water in 92 villages of Dakshina Kannada to be tested for endosulfan

MANGALURU: In view of confirming that traces of

endosulfan

are not present in drinking water, the legislative council committee has mulled over collecting samples from 92 affected villages of Dakshina Kannada.



The committee, comprising officials from various departments of the government as well as representatives from the endosulfan victims, will visit the affected areas and draw samples from open wells and borewells.

Harish Poonja, MLA, Belthangady, alleged that though the government has signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with eight super specialty hospitals to provide treatment to endosulfan victims during crucial times, the latter had not been honouring the MoU.
In response, K C Kondaiah, chief of the committee, directed Sasikanth Senthil S, district deputy commissioner, to call a meeting of all the hospitals concerned and sort of issues, if any.

Senthil suggested that increment in monthly pension to the kin of the victims would cause convenience in looking after their daily expenses. Kondaiah directed Senthil to submit a proposal to the government in this connection.

Kondaiah said the government will extend all support to help endosulfan victims and their family members. To provide nutritious food to all the victims, numbering at least 4,200, he directed Senthil to conduct a survey on the quantity of food required so the government could make it available to the families directly on a monthly basis. He said further course of action in this regard will be during the next meeting of the committee.

An endosulfan victim’s mother suggested the creation of a society where the victims and their families be housed so that share a conducive environment and relate to each other. Appreciating the suggestion, Kondaiah said a 10,000sq ft area will be earmarked for the project. He said funds will be raised from the local area development schemes of the legislators and MLCs.

He assured Senthil of pooling in additional money, if required, for the project.
As a representative for the victims complained that mobile health services had not been reaching beneficiaries, mainly because of the smaller engine vehicle, currently Omni vans, Kondaiah directed district health officer Rao Ramakrishna Rao to facilitate sports utility vehicles (SUVs) so that the scheme has last mile connectivity even in hilly areas.

Upset with lack of data on victims from

Udupi

and

Uttara Kannada

, the two other endosulfan affected districts in the state, Kondaiah said the committee will visit these areas and set up a mechanism to do the needful.