The study said the State was duty-bound to provide total support to the victims for life or till they recovered completely and could earn a living.
It proposed that a team of doctors along with a committed social worker and ward member concerned should conduct a thorough survey of the victims to ascertain their numbers and the category of health issue and decide on the kind of remedial measures.
The survey should cover the 11 panchayat areas where Endosulfan was sprayed, as well as the adjacent panchayats from where the effects of the pesticide had been reported. The impact of Endosulfan, if any, on the reported alarming decline in the population of Koraga — a primitive tribal community in Badiadka Panchayat — should be verified during the survey and steps taken to treat and protect them.
The team, led by Dr. Vijayan, proposed that a rehabilitation centre with modern facilities for treatment of all the victims of Endosulfan be established. A satellite rehabilitation centre could be opened in each panchayat region so as to make accessibility easy. The victims can prefer to undergo treatment under allopathy, Ayurveda, Sidha, or other branches of medicine. Further, a system should be established to physically support the invalid victims at their homes.
The victims should be offered appropriate occupation depending on their physical and mental condition, not primarily for income generation but for keeping them engaged. Monetary support to the victim’s family should be provided on a monthly basis. As most of the families of victims had borrowed money from local moneylenders at extremely high interest rates for their treatment, a one-time waiver of loans should be considered. The study also suggested that each panchayat could be allotted 20 to 25 acres of land from the Corporation for setting up vegetable gardens and the same could be used as demonstration and extension centres of organic farming involving all stakeholders and beneficiaries, preferably families of victims. It recommended that rehabilitation centres and other support mechanisms to the victims and their families should be run by an independent society. Its members should include family members of the victims, local panchayat member and president, block panchayat members from the respective area, and the district panchayat president.