(a) the quantity of hazardous wastes imported during the last three years;
(b) the nature of such hazardous waste;
(c) the reasons for importing such hazardous wastes;
(d) the States and places where the hazardous waste is dumped; and
(e) the broad policy of Government to import such waste?
MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR ENVIRONMENT AND FORESTS
(SHRIMATI JAYANTHI NATARAJAN)
(a) to (e) The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) has notified the
Hazardous Wastes (Management, Handling and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2008.
Import and export of hazardous wastes are regulated as per these rules.
Import of such wastes for disposal is not permitted. Import is permitted
only for recycling or recovery or reuse with the permission of the Ministry
of Environment and Forests and/or Directorate General of Foreign Trade.
Under these Rules, the Ministry during the last three years, has given
permission for import of Lead Scrap, Plastic waste generated from industrial
process, non-activated glass cullets, etc. by actual users for recycling
in an environmentally sound recycling facilities, which are authorised by
the State Pollution Control Board/ Pollution Control Committee concerned.
The Boards are required to monitor such facilities.
For effective implementation of provisions related to import and export,
a co-ordination committee has been constituted having representatives from
the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Commerce and Industries, the
Ministry of Shipping, Central Pollution Control Board and select State
Pollution Control Boards. This committee has been working to sensitize
the Customs authorities regarding enforcement of these Rules in order to
check illegal import of hazardous waste into the country.