The Union cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has banned seven chemicals listed under Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). 

 

As per the Regulation of Persistent Organic Pollutants Rules, on March 5, 2018 under the provisions of Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, the government has prohibited the manufacture, trade, use, import and export of seven chemicals - Chlordecone, Hexabromobiphenyl, Hexabromodiphenyl Ether and Heptabromodiphenylether (Commercial octa-BDE), Tetrabromodiphenyl Ether and Pentabromodiphenyl Ether (Commercial penta-BDE), Pentachlorobenzene, Hexabromocyclododecane and Hexachlorobutadiene. 

 

These seven chemicals were already listed as Persistent Organic Pollutants under Stockholm Convention.

 

The cabinet further delegated its powers to ratify chemicals under the Stockholm Convention to Union Ministers of External Affairs (MEA) and Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MEFCC) in respect of POPs already regulated under the domestic regulations thereby streamlining the procedure.

 

Exposure to POPs can lead to cancer, damage to central and peripheral nervous systems, diseases of the immune system, reproductive disorders and interference with normal infant and child development. 

 

The cabinet's approval for ratification of POPs demonstrates India's commitment to meet its international obligations with regard to protection of environment and human health. It also indicates the resolve of the government to take action on POPs by implementing control measures, develop and implement action plans for unintentionally produced chemicals, develop inventories of the chemicals' stockpiles and review as well as update its National Implementation Plan (NIP).