The state government has revised guidelines for identifying endosulfan victims, as per the recent order by the Health and Family Welfare Department. According to the new criteria, individuals categorized as ‘exposed’ to endosulfan include those who “lived in endosulfan-affected places or had intrauterine exposure from January 1980 till October 2011.” This directive, effective from October 18, reflects a response to recommendations from an expert committee formed in September 2023.
The committee’s report, submitted in November, provided draft guidelines based on scientific evidence for identifying endosulfan victims. Despite variations in studies regarding the environmental persistence of endosulfan, the committee determined a maximum possible persistence duration of six years. The ban on endosulfan spraying in the state was instituted in 2005 following numerous reported cases of deformities among victims.
Taking into account the ban, the guidelines specify that the maximum environmental persistence extends until October 25, 2011. As a result, individuals residing in affected areas or with intrauterine exposure from January 1980 to October 2011 are now classified as ‘exposed’ to endosulfan, according to the draft guidelines.
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