REVISION OF POLLUTION
CONTROL NORMS CALLED FOR CONFERENCE ON ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH FOCUSES
ON CHILDREN AND WOMEN
The two-day conference
on environmental health of scientists from India and abroad and
officials from the central and state governments has called for
revision of pollution control norms besides stricter enforcement
machinery to ensure protection of public health from environmental
pollution. The conference that concluded today came out with a
set of 25 recommendations that would enable formulation of a National
Environmental Health Policy. Presenting the recommendations of
the conference, Shri V.K.Duggal, Special Secretary in the Ministry
of Environment and Forests said they would help in evolving strategies
and action plans for prevention and control of air and water borne
diseases. He said there is a need to create massive public awareness
on environmental health issues to promote public participation
in addressing the health concerns.
The Conference has
emphasised the need for stricter emission norms for particulate
and gaseous pollutants for control of emissions from industries
and power plants. Ambient air quality standards are also required
to be reviewed and revised based on health criteria instead of
technical and economic feasibility. Immediate policy interventions
have been called for to contain air and water pollution. Other
recommendations include:
- Generation of basic data on linkages
between environment and health to evolve effective response
measures, with particular focus on children, women and other
sections living in polluted areas.
- Disallowing open burning of garbage,
leaves, plastics, rubber and other synthetic materials.
- Industrial effluent standards
to be reviewed and modified based on health considerations.
- Ensuring zero discharge of toxic
effluents into water bodies.
- Untreated and partially treated
hazardous wastes from industries should not be disposed on land,
roadsides, water bodies, municipal garbage dump sites etc. to
avoid possibility of ground water contamination.
- Action to be initiated to phase
out asbestos.
- Environmental health risks assessment
studies for children living in slums and polluted areas to be
undertaken including the study of impacts of indoor air pollution
on the health of children.
- Existing medical treatment and
record system in the hospitals to be modified to include occupational
and environmental history in the treatment of diseases.
- Environmental health curricula
to be developed and introduced in all the technical and medical
institutions.
- National emergency preparedness
and response system including disaster management due to terrorist
activities should be put in place.
