Jagannath Sharma
Editorial consultant
Federation of Indian Export Organisation, PHD House
New Delhi 110 049. Ph: 6851315
E-mail: kalyam@del3.vsnl.net.in

I found the second issue, with the lead story on asthma, very interesting. It covered the subject in great detail, and provided valuable facts and figures. I hope future issues of the newsletter will deal with other major health and environmental problems in a similar manner. The first-person account by Anil Agarwal is a moving one, and is the true story of an ‘environmental victim', with lessons for all of us.

Achal Narayanan
Former Senior Editor
British Information Services
14 Olcott Kuppam Road
5th Avenue, Besant Nagar
Chennai 600 090
E-mail: narayananachal@netscape.net

The newsletter is crisp, informative, enlightening and easy to read. Keep up the good work!

G V S Kiran
GM, Mathys Medical (P) Ltd
A-282, Defence Colony
New Delhi 110 024
Ph: 011-463 4361
E-mail: mathys.India@vsnl.com

It’s nice to learn that your centre is making serious efforts to bring out issues related to the common person and to our children by referring to current research. The contents are useful to everyone and enhance their knowledge about the harmful exposure to their lives by the carriers of death. I hope you shall enrich the newsletter with more articles on current issues such as radio contamination, etc., besides regular threats to human life.

Balram Kapoor
Sr Manager, UP Coop Fed Ltd
GPO BOX-101, Kanpur-208017
E-mail: balramkapoor6@rediffmail.com

The health and environment unit team has the joint responsibility of raising the standards of this newsletter to the level of an environmental alert about the potential harmful affects to public health. I am confident that it will be able to sensitise the medical community about the same.

R C Dhiman
Assistant director
Malaria Research Centre
2, Nanak Enclave, Delhi 110 009
Ph: 7123079/7411737
E-mail:dhiman1@vsnl.com 

By publishing "The story of an environmental victim", a superb piece by Anil, you have done a yeoman service to the country. It would be a fitting tribute to Anil if this parting piece by him succeeds in creating awareness about the epidemic of environmental pollution with carcinogens and teratogens.

S G Kabra
SDM Hospital
Jaipur 302 017
E-mail: kabrasg@hotmail.com

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Dear Friends,

This is with reference to the article DOUBLE INDEMNITY DEATH BY DDT published in the "What's new at CSE" fortnightly issue of 26 July 2002. You are aware that DDT is not totally banned in India and the Central Government-owned undertaking Hindustan Insecticides Limited (HIL) manufactures DDT in our country. Hundreds of formulators make usable formulations out of this.

The HIL manufacturing capacity is 10,000 tonnes. When the issue of banning DDT came up, our government decided that the pesticide be placed ‘in the restricted use’ category so as to protect HIL. Import of DDT was not allowed, however, under the WTO rules, the import ban on DDT makes little sense, as the pesticide is manufactured in India. The US banned DDT in 1972. A study carried out in 1989 showed that 99 per cent of US residents had traces of DDT. However, US President George W. Bush has allowed the manufacture of DDT in the United States for export purposes.

The US contention is that poor countries suffered from malaria and that DDT is needed and useful for vector control. The use of pesticides has brought about mutations in the mosquito and the new varieties are highly dangerous. In India, two central ministries -- Health and Agriculture -- decide whether to ban, or to allow the restricted use or unrestricted use for all pesticides. These two ministries never jointly formulate policy. The result is that when one bans, the other allows restricted or unrestricted use. For instance, DDT is in the ‘restricted use’ category of the Health Ministry. The Health officers find that DDT is the cheapest pesticide so it should not be banned. This ministry also found that DDT is the longest lasting of most pesticides, so one spray remains potent for a longer period. In other words, because its effects last longer, it is cheaper than other alternatives.

However, it is this long-lasting impact that is most dangerous to humans because we remain exposed to the deadly toxin for a longer period of time. Even second- third- and fourth-generation pesticides disintegrate faster. That is why, probably, pesticide spray on fruits is allowed theoretically 14 days before the fruit is brought to market. Nobody follows even this rule. Ziziphus (Hindi bare fruit), which used to be infected in the ripening stage, now the fruit does not rot even when it is overripe and has shriveled because it is sprayed with a heavy DDT dose just before the fruit is sent to market.

We have observed DDT and BHC packets in shops marketing pesticides to farmers. There is no restriction.The Agriculture Ministry says that the ‘Dirty Dozen’ are banned. We tried our level best to convince the ministry to inform farmers through field officers, placing big posters; however, we have not observed any action on this front. We doubt whether the officers can even name the banned pesticides.