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Environmental Crime and Victimization: A Green Criminological Analysis of the Endosulfan Disaster, Kasargod, Kerala

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 February 2018

Faisal Melangadi
Faisal Melangadi*
Affiliation:
Department of Criminology, University of Madras, Chennai – 600 005, Tamil Nadu, India
*
*Corresponding Author: Faisal Melangadi, UGC Junior Research Fellow, Department of Criminology, University of Madras, Chennai – 600 005, Tamil Nadu, India. E-mail: faisalmelangadi@gmail.com
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Abstract

Pesticides are chemicals used to kill pests and other “rival” organisms which may cause damage to crops in agriculture. In some instances the vast usage of pesticides may create negative effects on the environment and its units like living and non-living organisms. Green criminology counts such harmful activities upon the environment as crimes or harms though such activities can be legal or illegal in nature. The case of the endosulfan disaster that occurred in Kasargod, Kerala can be accounted to environmental harms which detrimentally affected the environment and its units, especially humans. The pesticide endosulfan was sprayed aerially for around 25 years in cashew plantations situated in Kasargod and caused severe diseases and extensive malformations among people living in the region. In this paper the endosulfan disaster of Kasargod is approached through the green criminological perspective of environmental harms.

Sinopsis

Los pesticidas son productos químicos utilizados para matar plagas y otros organismos "rivales" que pueden causar daños a los cultivos en la agricultura. En algunos casos, el amplio uso de pesticidas puede crear efectos negativos en el medio ambiente y sus unidades, como organismos vivos y no vivos. La criminología verde considera actividades dañinas sobre el medio ambiente como crímenes o daños, aunque tales actividades sean de naturaleza legal o ilegal. El caso del desastre del endosulfán que ocurrió en Kasargod, Kerala, India puede ser considerado como un daño ambiental que afectó negativamente al medio ambiente y sus unidades, especialmente a los humanos. El pesticida endosulfan fue rociado aéreamente alrededor de 25 años en plantaciones de anacardo situadas en Kasargod y causó enfermedades graves y malformaciones extensas entre las personas que viven en la región. En este artículo, el desastre del endosulfán de Kasargod se aborda a través de una perspectiva criminológica verde de los daños ambientales.

Résumé

Les pesticides sont des produits chimiques utilisés pour tuer les insectes nuisibles et autres organismes nuisibles qui peuvent causer des dommages aux cultures agricoles. Dans certains cas, l'utilisation massive de pesticides peut engendrer des effets négatifs sur l'environnement et ses occupants comme les organismes vivants et non vivants. La criminologie verte considère ces activités nuisibles sur l'environnement comme des crimes ou des dommages collateraux importants, bien que ces activités soient légales ou illégales. Le cas de la catastrophe de l'endosulfan survenue à Kasargod, Kerala, en Inde, est un exemple de préjudice qui a nui à l'environnement et à ses habitants, en particulier les humains. Le pesticide endosulfan a été pulvérisé par voie aérienne pendant 25 ans dans des plantations de noix de cajou situées à Kasargod et il a provoqué de graves maladies et de graves malformations parmi les habitants de la région. Dans cet article, la catastrophe endosulfan de Kasargod est abordée à travers la perspective criminologique verte des dommages environnementaux.

摘要

農藥是用來殺死害蟲和其他可能對農作物造成損害的“對手”生物的化學物質。在某些情況下，農藥的大量使用可能對環境及其單位如生物和非生物體產生不利影響。綠色犯罪學把這種對環境有害的活動視為犯罪或危害，雖然這些活動是合法的或非法的。印度喀拉拉邦卡薩爾戈德發生的硫丹災害案例是環境危害的一個例子，這種危害對環境及其單位，特別是人類造成不利影響。農藥硫丹在Kasargod的腰果種植園大約25年的空中噴灑，造成該地區居民嚴重的疾病和廣泛的畸形。本文通過環境危害的綠色犯罪學視角探討了卡薩爾戈德的硫丹災難。

Keywords

green criminologyenvironmental crimeendosulfanhealth consequencescriminología verdecrimen ambientalendosulfánconsecuencias para la salud.criminologie vertecriminalité environnementaleendosulfanconséquences sur la santé.綠色犯罪學環境犯罪硫丹健康後果
Type
Articles
Information
International Annals of Criminology , Volume 55 , Issue 2 , November 2017 , pp. 189 - 204
Copyright
© 2018 International Society of Criminology 

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