The four chemicals conventions, and India's noise limits
Prelims and MainsCurrent affairs on this: Chemicals, noise, light and soil pollution
Four treaties govern hazardous chemicals and wastes. The Basel Convention (1989, in force 1992) controls the movement of hazardous waste across borders, so that rich countries cannot dump on poor ones; its 2019 amendment brought mixed plastic waste under the same prior consent rule. The Rotterdam Convention (1998, in force 2004) requires prior informed consent before listed hazardous chemicals and pesticides are exported. The Stockholm Convention (2001, in force 2004) eliminates or restricts persistent organic pollutants, chemicals such as DDT, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and dioxins that last for decades, travel far and build up in fat; it began with the "dirty dozen". The Minamata Convention (2013, in force 2017) covers mercury from mining to disposal, named for the Japanese town poisoned by it. India is a Party to all four. At home, the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000 set decibel limits by zone and time.
The four conventions
| Convention | Year, in force | Covers | Mechanism | Secretariat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basel | 1989, 1992 | hazardous and other wastes crossing borders; plastics since 2019 | prior informed consent of the importing State; ban on export to non Parties | Geneva (BRS) |
| Rotterdam | 1998, 2004 | hazardous chemicals and pesticides in trade | prior informed consent for Annex III chemicals | Geneva (BRS) |
| Stockholm | 2001, 2004 | persistent organic pollutants | elimination (Annex A), restriction (Annex B), unintentional release reduction (Annex C) | Geneva (BRS) |
| Minamata | 2013, 2017 | mercury: mining, products, emissions, waste | phase out of mercury products, controls on emissions and artisanal gold mining | Geneva |
- Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm share a secretariat in Geneva and hold joint conferences; Minamata is separate, with its secretariat also in Geneva.
- Persistent organic pollutants share four traits: persistence, bioaccumulation, long range transport, and toxicity; India has a DDT exemption for malaria control under Stockholm and ratified with reservations on new listings.
- Rotterdam is a consent procedure, not a ban: an exporter must have the importing country's informed consent for chemicals in Annex III, which includes several pesticides still used in India.
- Noise Rules 2000: limits in dB(A), day and night, are 75 and 70 for industrial areas, 65 and 55 commercial, 55 and 45 residential, 50 and 40 in silence zones (100 metres around hospitals, schools and courts); night is 10 pm to 6 am; loudspeakers need permission and are barred at night except on notified days.
- Related domestic law: the Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2016 implement Basel, with import of waste for disposal prohibited and import for recycling licensed.
Mains: The conventions work by consent and listing rather than bans, so their strength is transparency: a country can still import a hazardous waste or chemical, but it must know and agree, which is where India's own rules on import for recycling do the real work.
Further reading: Secretariats and conventions (UNEP)
See also: The Hanle Dark Sky Reserve · Lead and toxic sites near schools · Extended producer responsibility across the waste rules · Urban mining