India is world's fourth largest steel producer. The demand for iron and steel in the country is growing exponentially owing to rapid industrialization and infrastructural demand. But steel sector is also highly polluting and is categorized as one of the most polluting sector among 17 sectors identified by Central Pollution Control Board.
The recommendations put forth by the FSSAI scientific panel that says antibiotics should not be used at any stage of honey production, has been unanimously approved by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). It has now been sent to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for notification. Read more
NOT all trans fats are bad for health. At least not the natural ones found in ghee, butter and cheese. Scientists have found that naturally occurring trans fats in milk and meat products obtained from ruminant animals like cows and buffaloes do not increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases the way industrial trans fats do. Read more
Twenty-eight years after the lethal gas leak at Union Carbide plant in Bhopal, the 350 tonnes of toxic waste lying at the defunct factory is likely to be airlifted to Germany for safe disposal. The disposal process, however, will start only after India’s Hazardous Waste (Management, Handling and Transboundary Movement) Rules of 2008, which forbid export and import of hazardous waste, are amended. Read more
After CSE raised the issue in 2005, the Punjab government constituted two committees, one was a High Powered Committee and the other an Expert Group. The two committees achieved nothing considerable- while the expert group held one meeting and the High Powered Committee none. The Punjab government ordered a study and immediate health remediation measures. Later, the government had decided to formulate the organic farming policy for the area but not much has happened there either.
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has prepared a draft notification on lead standards for all the categories of paints used for the household and decorative purposes. For most of the paints the maximum lead limit has been proposed at 90ppm, which is the current global best practice. A few of the industrial paints are to have 300ppm lead limit for technical reasons. The final notifications are yet to come.