PESTICIDE HAVOC-An Epidemiological Evidence

Organochlorine pesticides are known to cause widespread adverse effects on all types of flora and fauna.Its environmental persistance and disbursal across food chain could result in transgenerational impact on most living beings. An event of great humanitarian concern had occured in a remote region of south western India consequent to aerial spraying of endosulfan,an organochlorine pesticide, over a prolonged period of 25 years,starting from late 70s,in a state government owned cashew plantation.The local community living close to these plantations is now witnessing disproprtionately high incidence of birth anomalies and mental disorders and many other unusual health conditions in the chemical exposed villages.Though many scientific studies were conducted, most of them turned out to be inconclusive. This research work is yet another attempt to explore a causal linkage. The author wishes to dedicate this work to the unfortunate victims of an environmental disaster.