‘Delay in hazardous waste disposal abuse of right to health of Bhopal gas tragedy survivors,’ says NHRC chief

‘Delay in hazardous waste disposal abuse of right to health of Bhopal gas tragedy survivors,’ says NHRC chief

Subject : Environment

‘For calamities caused by industrial disasters, transnational enterprises’ responsibilities have to be well defined,’ the NHRC chief asserted.

Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management & Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2016

• Salient features of the Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management & Transboundary Movement) Amendment Rules, 2019:
  • Solid plastic waste has been prohibited from import into the country including in Special Economic Zones (SEZ) and by Export Oriented Units (EOU).
  • Exporters of silk waste have now been given exemption from requiring permission from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
  • Electrical and electronic assemblies and components manufactured in and exported from India, if found defective can now be imported back into the country, within a year of export, without obtaining permission from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
  • Industries which do not require consent under Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1974 and Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1981, are now exempted from requiring authorization also under the Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management & Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2016, provided that hazardous and other wastes generated by such industries are handed over to the authorized actual users, waste collectors or disposal facilities.

Domestic Hazardous Waste

• About:
  • Domestic Hazardous Waste is any chemical or product that can cause serious illness or pose an environmental or health threat if improperly stored, transported or disposed of.
  • When hazardous waste is disposed of in the trash, down the drain, or on the ground, our water and soils can be contaminated or trash collectors can be harmed.
  • Most products labeled dangerous, flammable, poison, combustible and corrosive are considered hazardous waste.
  • Examples: Auto batteries, Fertilizers, Batteries (non-alkaline), Paint.

• Governing Household Waste:
  • Household waste is governed by the rules outlined in the Solid Waste Management Rules 2016.
  • These rules divide household waste into dry and wet waste.
    • Wet waste is categorised as any waste that decomposes or degrades by itself.
    • All other waste falls into dry waste according to the rules.

Bhopal Gas Tragedy

Background

• Post-midnight on December 3, 1984, Methyl Isocyanate (MIC) (Chemical formula- CH3NCO or C2H3NO) leaked from the pesticide plant of Union Carbide (now Dow Chemicals), an MNC, in Madhya Pradesh capital Bhopal.
  • It is estimated that about 40 tonnes of gas and other chemicals leaked from the Union Carbide factory.
  • Methyl isocyanate is extremely toxic gas and if its concentration in the air touches 21ppm (parts per million), it can cause death within minutes of inhaling the gas.
  • After the tragedy, the government of India enacted a Public Liability Insurance Act (1991), making it mandatory for industries to get insurance the premium for this insurance would contribute to an Environment Relief Fund to provide compensation to victims of a Bhopal-like disaster.