Kasaragod: Eight companies have submitted Expressions of Interest (EoI) to safely neutralise and dispose of the legacy stocks of Endosulfan that have been languishing in the godowns of the Plantation Corporation of Kerala (PCK) in Kasaragod and Mannarkkad for over a quarter of a century. The EoIs were invited by the Kerala State Pollution Control Board, with the deadline for submissions ending on the 27th of last month.

Only the firms that submitted an EoI will be eligible to bid in the final tender. Technical representatives from these companies are scheduled to conduct on-site inspections of the storage facilities within the next two weeks, after which the formal tender will be floated.

The lingering inventory comprises 1,150 liters stored across the Periya and Rajapuram estates in Kasaragod district, 10 kilograms of solidified residue at the Cheemeni estate, and 304 liters at the Mannarkkad estate in Palakkad district. In addition to the chemical itself, the contaminated vintage barrels in which it was stored are also slated for safe disposal.

The firms in the fray possess prior expertise in safely neutralising and processing hazardous agrochemicals, including Endosulfan. Under the contract terms, the selected agency will transport the stock to its own specialised facility off-site for disposal. Moving the neutralisation out of the district is expected to avert the fierce public backlash and protests that derailed past initiatives.

Endosulfan, which was aerially sprayed over PCK's vast cashew plantations to curb tea mosquito bugs, was banned nationwide by the Supreme Court after it was proven to cause severe, multi-generational health catastrophes. The chemical currently in storage is the leftover inventory from that era. Multiple attempts by the PCK and the district administration to neutralise the stockpile in situ had previously hit a wall due to stiff resistance from local communities and the Anti-Endosulfan Action Council.

The long-stalled disposal initiative was finally revived in September 2024 following an intervention by the National Green Tribunal (NGT). On the NGT’s directives, officials from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) inspected the godowns and submitted a detailed assessment. A few months ago, the stockpile was carefully transferred into secure, leak-proof barrels under expert supervision. The entire expenditure for the neutralisation process will be underwritten by the Plantation Corporation. Once successfully concluded, this operation will lift a massive, decades-long environmental burden off the district's shoulders.