Geospatial assessment of common illness due to endosulfan in periya estate, kasaragod district, kerala, india

Author: 
Neethu V.V., Miriam R and Madha Suresh V

The use of pesticides has a hostile impact on human health and the environment. The environmental health problems vary from region to region, reflecting the geography, climate and the level of economic development. Many health problems are associated not only with poverty, a lack of essential resources and also in relation with the mode of operating the hazardous materials which became a burning issue during the past few years. The pesticide Endosulfan was aerially sprayed on the cashew plantation in the district, covering an area of 2190 hectare by the Plantation Corporation of Kerala which has many negative impacts on environment and human health. This chronic disease is vulnerable to local community, which affects more than 3,000 people with various problems such as mental retardation, cancer and physically handicapped, skin problems etc. This study aims to highlight the role of physiography and drainage system in spreading disease at Periya estate. The robust methodology is adopted in GIS platform to analyse the proximity of the settlements from the estates. This paper also portrays the people who live near the downstream and downwind of the estate were adversely affected. As a conclusion of this study, is that it is not only the use of the pesticide that has affected the health of the people but the natural environmental conditions have also played a role in the diffusion of the toxin and its persistence in the environment. The dreadful pesticides like Endosulfan will affect the health of future generations.

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DOI: 
http://dx.doi.org/10.24327/ijcar.2018.15691.2873
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