by Chitra Weerarathne
The Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ), yesterday, submitted to the Court of Appeal, a letter written recently by the Registrar of Pesticides, to Provincial Directors of Agriculture, regarding the release of pesticides containing Arsenic.
The petitioner, CEJ, through its counsel, Ravindranath Dabare, informed the Court, that the Registrar of Pesticides had previously suspended the distribution of the same pesticides. Subsequent to a Committee meeting held on August 5, 2011, the Registrar of Pesticides had decided to allow the distribution of the same pesticides, which he had decided, contained only a low percentage of Arsenic and would not be hazardous to health.
Counsel Dabare told the Court that the Control of Pesticides Act prohibits the distribution of fertilizer that contained Arsenic. Hence, the distribution of such pesticides or fertilizer, should be suspended/prohibited by the Court.
The Court directed the Attorney General to peruse the letter submitted by the petitioner and to report to Court by November 14, 2011.
Arjuna Obeysekera, senior State Counsel appeared for the Attorney General. Ravindranath Dabare, appeared for the petitioner, who had complained that the use of pesticides, which contained arsenic, was hazardous to health. This had caused renal diseases among the people, who consumed agricultural produce, grown by the use of Arsenic containing pesticides.
The Bench comprised, Justice Sriskandarajah (President) and Justice Nalin Perera.
http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=37891
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