Twenty-eight Punjab hospitals have been selected for an international project aimed at effective management of bio-medical waste. Of these hospitals, four are big, eight medium and 16 small ventures.

The initiative is part of a project being executed by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests. Members of the UNIDO team along with Dr M Subba Rao, Director, Union Ministry of Environment and Forests, said this here today during a visit to Dayanand Medical College and Hospital. Ludhiana also has been selected as the model district for the project in Punjab.

State Pollution Control Board says water unsuitable for potable purposes

The lake in Udhagamandalam, popularly known as Ooty, is, according to a study by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB), one of the most polluted water bodies in the State. Its water quality, the study says, is unsuitable for potable purposes. A major tourist attraction in the popular hill station, the lake now emits a foul odour, thanks to untreated sewage being let out into it.

Many protests, agitations and petitions later, the residents of Sukhdev Vihar – one of the most densely-populated residential colonies located next to the Okhla-Timarpur waste-to-energy incinerator – have a unique proposition for Delhi environment officials and politicians: “Come spend a day at our homes”.

“Every single environment official and politician claims that all is well at Sukhdev Vihar. How can they certify this when the residents here have consistently been telling them about the pollution levels because of the plant, the bio-medical waste incinerator and the compost plant. Together these plants have polluted the ground water, poisoned the air and forced us to live with constant noise pollution,” says Asha Arora, an area resident.

Despite sustained public protests and lawsuits against the Timarpur-Okhla waste-to-energy incinerator in Sukhdev Vihar, the beginning of trial runs this January 2 has invited the ire of the residents of this densely populated area.

“The incinerator is located in a residential area which is surrounded by university, schools, hospitals and a bird sanctuary. It is huge health and environmental hazard and the residents have been protesting for a long time. But it seems that the Delhi Government has turned a deaf ear to the protest and plea of the over one million people who will be adversely affected by the plant.

With a view to effectively deal with the menace of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in India and 10 neighbouring countries, the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) for

The international phase-out of endosulfan with certain exemptions under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants will come into effect by the end of October next year.

The Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee of the Stockholm Convention has decided to invite the Food and Agriculture Organisation to undertake studies on integrated pest management alterna

The outcome of Stockholm Convention to ban endosulfan capping a long-drawn campaign against the pesticide on health grounds may have brought cheers to the opponents but the domestic industry is crying foul suspecting an European link aiming to capture the Indian market.

India and a few other developing countries extracted several exemptions, including a phase out period of 11 years to ban produ

Though a decision has been taken for banning killer pesticide Endosulfan globally, the strong Indian pesticide manufacturers

Exemption for its application against 44 pests in 22 crops
The Conference of Parties to the Stockholm Convention in Geneva on Friday approved the recommendation for elimination of production and use of endosulfan and its isomers worldwide, subject to certain exemptions.

The decision will not be binding on India unless specifically ratified by the country.