Kerala PCB orders endosulfan plant closure

The immediate provocation for the decision seems to be the Left governments campaign against endosulfan,although the PSB has accused the unit of polluting the environment

The Kerala State Pollution Control Board (PCB) on Tuesday ordered the closure of the Kochi unit of Hindustan Insecticides Limited (HIL),a PSU under Union Ministry of Fertilisers and Chemicals,which manufactures endosulfan and other pesticides.

The immediate provocation for the decision seems to be the Left governments campaign against endosulfan,although the PSB has accused the unit of polluting the environment.

Board chairman K Sajeevan said that the HIL was found violating conditions of effective management of effluent and hazardous waste since 2009. The board had several times reminded the HIL unit to shift the hazardous waste to the common treatment facility. The effluent from the plant was contaminating the nearby stream,he said.

The HIL Kochi unit also manufactures DDT and Dicofol. The unit,functioning in an industrial area,was established in 1957. Several NGOS have recently demanded closure of the unit.

Magnitude 7.1 earthquake strikes near east coast of Russia’s Kamchatka region

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A powerful 7.1 magnitude earthquake hit near Russia's Kamchatka region on Saturday, according to the German Research Centre for Geosciences. The quake occurred at a depth of 10 km and was felt on the east coast.

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