THIRUVANATHAPURAM - Agriculture Minister Mullakkara Ratnakaran has requested Union Minister of State for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh to revoke the permission given for field trials of genetically-modified (GM) rubber in Kottayam.
'Express' had reported that the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), at a meeting held on November 15, had given its approval to the Rubber Research Institute, Kottayam, to go ahead with the field trials of GM rubber in Kerala.
Pointing out that agriculture is a state subject and that Kerala has every right to remain GM-free, Mullakkara said in his letter: ''It is of serious concern for Kerala that this is the first such trial in a tree crop anywhere in India and this is being permitted in a biodiversity-rich region''.He also said in clearcut terms that Kerala wishes to remain a state free of GM crops. ''This is not only to protect its agriculture, but its agro-biodiversity as well as the highly pristine and valuable biodiversity. In this context, I request you to reconsider this decision and revoke the permission to allow field trials of GM rubber in Kerala,'' he said. Mullakkara's letter follows the request sent by Forest Minister Binoy Viswam to withdraw the trials, as it would be hazardous to try out GM crops near the Western Ghats, a biodiversity hotspot.
The Biosafety Research Level 1 trials (BRL1) of GM rubber were proposed to be held at two locations in the country, namely Dapchari near Thane and Chethackal, Thombikandom, near Kottayam, in Kerala. However, RRI director James Jacob said that the trials in Kerala would be conducted only if the State Government did not have any objection.
The Agriculture Minister has further asked Jairam Ramesh not to give permission for open release or field trials of any other genetically-modified crops in the state in future.
''All decisions to permit open field trials or open releases should be taken only after getting written consent from the States concerned, after satisfying all their concerns regarding health and environmental safety.This should be made a mandatory requirement,'' he said in the letter.
Mullakkara also drew the Union Minister's attention to the recommendations of the Task Force Report on Application of Biotechnology in Agriculture (2004) chaired by M S Swaminathan which had recommended that agrobiodiversity hotspots such as the Western Ghats should be kept GMfree.
''As regards the Western Ghats region, it is not just an agro-biodiversity hotspot, but a global natural heritage that should be protected at any cost from such hazardous technologies,'' Mullakkara said in his letter.
The RRI officials maintained that the said strains to undergo trials have no foreign gene in them but only the same gene normally found in any rubber tree, but at a magnified rate. This effectively means that the trees are not transgenic per se and the risks involved in the trials are not so much as in transgenic plants. they said.
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