Page 7 - Policy brief on persistent organic pollutants in Indian environment: A wake-up call for concerted action
P. 7
Policy Brief
The EU’s Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC- promoting sustainable development and covering
WFD) is another important regulation pertaining to the chemicals at all stages of their life-cycle, including in
protection of water resources and considered the most products.
extensive European legislation on the prevention and A key feature of the SAICM process is the engagement
management of water pollution so far. The Pesticide of all sectors of society with an interest in chemical
Authorization Directives (PAD) and the Directive on safety, including environment, health, agriculture, labour,
Sustainable Use of Pesticides complete the scheme industry and development.
of major regulations related to the management of
chemicals in EU. The Directive 2009/128/EC aims to India and the Stockholm Convention
achieve a sustainable use of pesticides in the EU by
reducing the risks and impacts of pesticide use on human As a party to the Stockholm Convention, India developed
health and the environment and promoting the use of its National Implementation Plan (NIP) to demonstrate
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and of alternative its obligations to implement the convention. Successful
approaches or techniques, such as non-chemical implementation of the Stockholm Convention
alternatives to pesticides. depends on assistance from international as well as
local government, NGOs, and private partners. To
The International POPs Elimination Network develop the NIP, the Ministry of Environment, Forests
(IPEN), established in 1998 is a non-profit organization and Climate Change works closely with a number
in Sweden and is comprised of hundreds of participating of ministries and other agencies of the government
organizations in over 100 countries, primarily developing including the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB);
and transition countries. IPEN brings together leading the Ministry of Agriculture, which is the nodal ministry
environmental and public health groups around the for dealing with pesticides; the Ministry of Chemicals
world to establish and implement safe chemical and Fertilizers, of which the Department of Chemical
policies and practices that protect human health and and Petrochemicals is responsible for policy, planning,
the environment. IPEN raises the profile of sound development, and regulations related to the chemical,
chemicals management as an economic development petrochemical, and pharmaceutical industries; the
strategy around the world and raises the profile of toxics Ministry of Power, which deals with PCBs in the power
issues previously not on the agenda for global attention, sector; the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, which
such as nanomaterials, endocrine disrupting chemicals, deals with the management of risk from chemicals in
lead in paint, and toxic chemicals in the lifecycle of consumer products and foods; the health departments
electronic products. of state governments, which control the shipment,
storage, and distribution of DDT authorized for use for
The Strategic Approach to International Chemicals public health purposes; and the Ministry of Science and
Management (SAICM) is a global policy framework to Technology, through its research institutions. Although
foster the sound management of chemicals, which was the situation on the ground of all twelve POPs was
adopted by the International Conference on Chemicals assessed during the preparation of the NIP, it has not
Management (ICCM) on 6 February 2006 in Dubai, been updated to include the new POPs added in the
United Arab Emirates. The SAICM Secretariat is hosted Stockholm Convention. The first NIP covers the period
by the UNEP and it supports the achievement of the goal up to 2022.
that, by the year 2020, chemicals will be produced and
used in ways that minimize significant adverse impacts Action plans to implement the NIP in India are
on the environment and human health. It acknowledges divided into three components, namely (1) pesticides,
the essential contributions of chemicals in the current (2) PCBs (3) dioxins and furans, and (4) contaminated
societies and economies, while recognizing the potential sites and wastes.
threat to sustainable development if chemicals are not
managed soundly. The scope of SAICM includes: Pesticides
1. Environmental, economic, social, health and labour 3. Eliminate aldrin and dieldrin waste stocks.
aspects of chemical safety,
4. Eliminate obsolete stocks of DDT.
2. Agricultural and industrial chemicals, with a view to
JANUARY 2018 7
The EU’s Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC- promoting sustainable development and covering
WFD) is another important regulation pertaining to the chemicals at all stages of their life-cycle, including in
protection of water resources and considered the most products.
extensive European legislation on the prevention and A key feature of the SAICM process is the engagement
management of water pollution so far. The Pesticide of all sectors of society with an interest in chemical
Authorization Directives (PAD) and the Directive on safety, including environment, health, agriculture, labour,
Sustainable Use of Pesticides complete the scheme industry and development.
of major regulations related to the management of
chemicals in EU. The Directive 2009/128/EC aims to India and the Stockholm Convention
achieve a sustainable use of pesticides in the EU by
reducing the risks and impacts of pesticide use on human As a party to the Stockholm Convention, India developed
health and the environment and promoting the use of its National Implementation Plan (NIP) to demonstrate
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and of alternative its obligations to implement the convention. Successful
approaches or techniques, such as non-chemical implementation of the Stockholm Convention
alternatives to pesticides. depends on assistance from international as well as
local government, NGOs, and private partners. To
The International POPs Elimination Network develop the NIP, the Ministry of Environment, Forests
(IPEN), established in 1998 is a non-profit organization and Climate Change works closely with a number
in Sweden and is comprised of hundreds of participating of ministries and other agencies of the government
organizations in over 100 countries, primarily developing including the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB);
and transition countries. IPEN brings together leading the Ministry of Agriculture, which is the nodal ministry
environmental and public health groups around the for dealing with pesticides; the Ministry of Chemicals
world to establish and implement safe chemical and Fertilizers, of which the Department of Chemical
policies and practices that protect human health and and Petrochemicals is responsible for policy, planning,
the environment. IPEN raises the profile of sound development, and regulations related to the chemical,
chemicals management as an economic development petrochemical, and pharmaceutical industries; the
strategy around the world and raises the profile of toxics Ministry of Power, which deals with PCBs in the power
issues previously not on the agenda for global attention, sector; the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, which
such as nanomaterials, endocrine disrupting chemicals, deals with the management of risk from chemicals in
lead in paint, and toxic chemicals in the lifecycle of consumer products and foods; the health departments
electronic products. of state governments, which control the shipment,
storage, and distribution of DDT authorized for use for
The Strategic Approach to International Chemicals public health purposes; and the Ministry of Science and
Management (SAICM) is a global policy framework to Technology, through its research institutions. Although
foster the sound management of chemicals, which was the situation on the ground of all twelve POPs was
adopted by the International Conference on Chemicals assessed during the preparation of the NIP, it has not
Management (ICCM) on 6 February 2006 in Dubai, been updated to include the new POPs added in the
United Arab Emirates. The SAICM Secretariat is hosted Stockholm Convention. The first NIP covers the period
by the UNEP and it supports the achievement of the goal up to 2022.
that, by the year 2020, chemicals will be produced and
used in ways that minimize significant adverse impacts Action plans to implement the NIP in India are
on the environment and human health. It acknowledges divided into three components, namely (1) pesticides,
the essential contributions of chemicals in the current (2) PCBs (3) dioxins and furans, and (4) contaminated
societies and economies, while recognizing the potential sites and wastes.
threat to sustainable development if chemicals are not
managed soundly. The scope of SAICM includes: Pesticides
1. Environmental, economic, social, health and labour 3. Eliminate aldrin and dieldrin waste stocks.
aspects of chemical safety,
4. Eliminate obsolete stocks of DDT.
2. Agricultural and industrial chemicals, with a view to
JANUARY 2018 7
