(a) whether the Government has notified any rules/regulations regarding import of hazardous waste/materials including scrap into the country;
(b) if so, the details and objectives thereof;
(c) the extent to which such regulations have achieved its objectives; and
(d) whether the Government has any proposal to bring stringent norms/rules in this regard and if so, the details thereof?
MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
(SHRI PRAKASH JAVADEKAR)
(a) to (d): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.
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Statement referred to in reply to Parts (a) to (d) of the Lok Sabha Starred Question No 239 for answer on 10th May, 2016 regarding “Import of Scrap” raised by SHRI RAM TAHAL CHOUDHARY and SHRI PRATAPRAO JADHAV:
(a) to (d) Import and export of hazardous waste including metal scrap was being regulated under Hazardous Waste (Management, Handling and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2008. These rules have been comprehensively revised and superseded by new Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2016 notified in April, 2016. These rules aim at environmentally sound management of hazardous wastes and regulates transboundary movement of prescribed hazardous and other wastes.
The international trade of hazardous and other waste including metal scrap in the country is governed in line with the provisions of Rule 11 to Rule 15 of Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2016. The import of wastes and scraps is permitted for reuse, recycling and reprocessing purpose only and not for disposal. The import of wastes like waste plastic, used tyre for direct re-use purpose, critical care medical equipment, electronic scrap with hazardous constituents, household waste, biomedical waste and chemical waste in solvent form is prohibited. The transboundary movement of hazardous waste is enforced through Department of Customs for effective implementation of the Rules. Salient features of the Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2016 are given below:
i. The ambit of the Rules has been expanded by including ‘Other Wastes’.
ii. Permission for handling such wastes in the form of Authorization and Registration requirement is replaced with one permission i.e. authorization.
iii. The basic necessity of infrastructure to safeguard the environment and health has been prescribed as Standard Operating Procedure (SOPs) specific to waste type.
iv. Waste Management hierarchy in the sequence of priority as prevention, minimization, reuse, recycling, recovery, co-processing; and safe disposal being incorporated.
v. Responsibilities of State Government for environmentally sound management of hazardous and other wastes have been introduced fro skill development, health safety etc.
vi. Various Schedules have been reviewed as per international best practices.
vii. The list of waste prohibited for import has been revised by inclusion of waste edible fats, household waste, critical care medical equipment, tyres for direct re-use purpose, solid plastic wastes, waste electrical and electronic assemblies scrap and other chemical wastes especially in solvent form.
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