Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

Nothing new

Apropos your news item, `France offers to take back toxic waste,' (Feb. 9), I wish to put on record that there is nothing new in the French proposal to take back the toxic waste, including asbestos waste. This proposal was made on January 20, 2006, itself before the Supreme Court Monitoring Committee in New Delhi.

Interestingly, this exposes the Indian Environment Secretary, Pradipto Ghosh's contention that there is no asbestos waste on the French ship. Given the fact that import and export of asbestos waste is banned as per Hazardous Waste Rules, 2003, under the Environment Protection Act, 1986, the ship must go back to France for decontamination.

Dr. G. Thyagarajan, Chairman, Supreme Court Monitoring Committee on Hazardous Wastes, aptly said: "Clemenceau was France's flagship naval vessel, and has served the country well and for a long time. Can't France put an end to Clemenceau's agony by taking it back?" Earlier, he said it deserves burial in France.

Gopal Krishna,
Ban Asbestos Network of India (BANI)

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