Hazardous Waste in India

In India, the Hazardous Substances Management Division (HSMD) under the Ministry OfEnvironment and Forests is the nodal point for implementation of pohcies and programmes on management of chemical emergencies and hazardous substances.

There are 1580 major Accident Hazard Units in 234 districts of 19 States / Union Territories in India as far as the chemicals are concerned. The chemical safety is governed by the following rules:

• The Manufacture, Storage and Import of Hazardous Chemical (MSIHC) Rules, 1989.

• The Chemical Accidents (Emergency Planning, Preparedness and Response) Rules, 1996.

• Under the Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991 as amended in 1992, all MAH units handling chemicals in excess of the threshold quantities referred to in the Schedule, are mandated to take an insurance policy and deposit an equal amount in the Environment Relief Fund to ensure immediate payment to chemical accident victims (MoEF, 2003 - 04).

There are 13011 hazardous waste generating units which are spread over 373 districts in India. They generate about 4.4 million tonnes Ofhazardous waste. Maharahtra, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu account for more than 63% of total hazardous waste.

Recently, the Supreme Court of India has given detailed directions for immediate closure of industries operating in violation of Hazardous Waste Rules, preparation of a National Inventory on Hazardous Wastes by Central Pollution Control Board, inventorization of illegal dump sites of hazardous wastes and preparation of rehabilitation plans for the same, disposal of hazardous wastes lying at various ports / ICDs I Docks of India, amendment OfHazardous Wastes Rules, 2003.

Subsequently, the MoEF has constituted a monitoring committee on Hazardous Waste Management in November 2003. The Committee has submitted its first quarterly report to the Supreme Court in January, 2004.

Various rules which are in operation in India are as follows:

∙ Hazardous Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules, 1989, as amended in 2000 and 2003.

∙ Biomedical Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules, 1998 / 2000 / 2003.

• Batteries (Management and Handling) Rules, 2001

These regulate the collection, channelization and recycling and import of used lead acid batteries. These rules make the return of used batteries mandatory for consumers.

The manufactures / assemblers I re-conditioners I importers of lead acid batteries are responsible for collecting used batteries against the one sold.