In 2009, the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, which included officials from 160 countries, UN organisations and NGOs, agreed to a global ban on Lindane, a highly toxic insecticide. Most countries quickly imposed bans or restrictions on the use of Lindane for insect control in agriculture.
But 20 years before that, in August 1989, John Balfour, the head of the Dubai Municipality’s pest control section, had revealed to me a campaign that he was planning to launch in the emirate, urging people to surrender the dangerous pesticide.
My interview with John Balfour, with whom I used to interact quite often in those days when I was covering civic issues for Khaleej Times, was featured in The Khaleej Times Campaign for a Better UAE. Read this piece I did featuring John and his campaign, which was a huge success.
Pune, India
Aug 15, 2020
