NEWS

April 11, 2012: Indian pressure group Toxics Link says urgent action is needed to deal with persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and to dispose of stockpiles of toxic chemicals in India. The comments are one of the "key conclusions" in its report on a conference it held in February in New Delhi on chemicals management, including opportunities through implementation of the UN Stockholm Convention on POPs.

Robert Donkers, Minister Counsellor for Environment at the EU Delegation to India told the conference that phasing out certain POPs remains a huge challenge, and it is imperative that new POPs are not created when one substance is replaced by another.

"Implementation of regulations in India is weak," states the report, and needs to be addressed by "enhancing numerical and technical capacity". Speaking at the conference, Piyush Mohapatra from Toxics Link called for India to set up an effective chemical monitoring system and regulatory structures.