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THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, INDIA, August 9, 2003: Legislators in Kerala are planning to give tender coconut water a push and steal the fizz from Coco Cola and Pepsi. “With the controversy over the Coca-Cola sludge pollution and reports from Delhi over the presence of toxic elements, we should see that we promote tender coconut in Kerala. This is the best time,” said senior Congress leader Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan. This week, the Kerala State Pollution Control Board endorsed a BBC Radio allegation that sludge from a Coca-Cola plant in Kerala contained hazardous elements including cadmium and a leading environmental group in New Delhi claimed that Coke and Pepsi beverages had alarmingly high levels of pesticide residues (both companies refute this latter report). Kerala has for a while been trying to promote tender coconut water, but with little success. “One reason for the failure is practical problems associated with marketing coconut water,” said Prayar Gopalakrishnan, a legislator and former chairman of the Kerala State Milk Marketing Association. Legislator Mercy Ravi, wife of Congress leader Vayalar Ravi, felt it would be best to make the drink available in the fresh, raw form. “Any addition of preservative to increase the shelf life could lead to problems like what Coke and Pepsi are facing. As a test case, it would be nice if the Speaker allows the opening of a counter of tender coconut in the assembly. Once this is done, we could open counters at international airports, railway stations and even bus stands,” she suggested.

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