Endosulfan Poisoning Rivers of Northeast India

Endosulfan is a pesticide gradually being phased out from use all over the world because of its toxic properties and health hazards to humans and animals.
But in Northeast India, it is the same chemical that is being used in deathly doses by people to poison rivers and catch fish.

India is world’s largest producer and exporter of the hazardous Endosulfan. But the chemical’s use was hotly debated almost all this year as it was found to cause health hazards in humans as well as wildlife. In India the Supreme Court banned the use of Endosulfan in May 2011.

But despite the ban, the poison is still used extensively and much to the disbelief of environmentalists it is being used abundantly in the North east states of India by men who simply mix the pesticide in rivers upstream. When the deadly water flows down, it kills fishes, turtles and other amphibians in hundreds each day.

Illegal use of Endosulfan has been especially recorded in River Manu that originates from the state of Tripura. Traders, in order to make a fast buck mix the pesticide upstream and then it is carried by the current all the way down to Bangladesh where the River Manu merges into the River Kushiara.

Aquatic animals like fish, mollusks and amphibians have been found to be affected by endosulfan most drastically. Bioaccumalation is a constant threat and because the chemical can easily flow and retain its properties for a long time, its effect may be felt quite far from the area of origin.

Many fish species resultantly of the area are doomed. Some have already become extinct and of few others, the numbers are shockingly low.

In the list of the vanished species are Tiger fish, Dwarf Goonch and Ar – giant fishes that the river was once famous for. Even Sind Danio, Wallogo, Indian river shad, and turtles which were commonly found even 10 years ago are now extremely rare.

Natural Poison

Locals living on the riverside villages though have a siginificant information to share. They say that the tradition of poisoning rivers was always followed in these parts of the country. It was a convenient way to catch fishes in large numbers.

But what has changed over the years is the kind of poison used.

According to Renuka Dutta, a local, “Every winter – around January/February, people used to collect vishlat – a poison ivy found in abundance in the nearby forests and extract the juice to put that in the river as due to cold fishes would not come to the surface too often. Once mixed in water, the juice would blind the fish temporarily, but would do no harm to humans.’

Now though the traditional herb has been replaced by a chemical leading to much more tragic endings.

Amar Mitra, a local farmer and a fishing enthusiast says, “When poison ivy was used, we could see fish thrashing around in the water blindly. But now we see dead fish floating.”

Killer at Large

Endosulfan is still easily available in local markets. It is also very easy to sprinkle the chemical in the river waters and wait for the fish to just gulp down the poisonous water and die. With fish being a staple, the market demand too is quite high with one medium size fish easily fetching Rs.300-350.

Hence, the rampant use of chemicals by illegal traders. In the past one month alone thee have been four incidents recorded of river poisoning.

But the cases of human poisoning too have risen.

More people are suffering from water borne diseases such as dysentery and gastroenteritis in villages along Manu, as well as Deo – a tributary of river Manu which has also seen fishing by endosulfan poisoning. Once seen as ‘monsoon sicknesses’, now such diseases are also becoming common in winter, thanks to endosulfan.

Yet again, rash and inconsiderate practices taint man’s hands with blood of innocent creatures. If the chemical’s use this way is not stopped immediately, it can only bring death and devastation to an ecologically significant region of the country.