Sri Vijaya Puram, July 24: The Andaman and Nicobar Pollution Control Committee (ANPCC) has initiated the process of collecting information on hazardous chemicals covered under the Stockholm Convention, calling upon industries, research institutions, laboratories, traders and government establishments to submit details of their handling of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) by July 27.
The exercise has been launched by the ANPCC, functioning under the Department of Science and Technology, Andaman and Nicobar Administration, in compliance with directions issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The initiative forms part of India’s obligations under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants.
Persistent Organic Pollutants are highly toxic chemicals that remain in the environment for prolonged periods, accumulate in living organisms through the food chain and pose risks to human health, wildlife and ecosystems.
The Stockholm Convention, which came into force in 2004, is an international environmental treaty aimed at protecting human health and the environment from such hazardous substances. The Convention currently lists 37 Persistent Organic Pollutants, including pesticides and industrial chemicals, under three annexes covering elimination, restriction and reduction of unintentional releases.
India ratified the Convention in 2006 and has so far ratified 19 Persistent Organic Pollutants. To regulate these chemicals, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has notified the Regulation of Polychlorinated Biphenyls Order, 2016, and the Regulation of Persistent Organic Pollutants Rules, 2018. These regulations prohibit the manufacture, use, import, export and trade of the notified Persistent Organic Pollutants, with compliance monitored by regulatory authorities.
The ANPCC is also collecting information on the remaining 18 Persistent Organic Pollutants that have not yet been ratified by India. The data will cover production, import, export, domestic sales, in-house consumption and stockpiles of these chemicals.
According to the committee, the information will assist the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in assessing the status of these chemicals and support future policy decisions relating to India’s commitments under the Stockholm Convention.
The committee has requested all industrial units, manufacturers, importers, exporters, traders, research institutions, laboratories, educational institutions, government organisations and other establishments dealing with any of the chemicals listed under the Convention to furnish the required information in the prescribed format.
The information must be submitted to the Member Secretary, Andaman and Nicobar Pollution Control Committee, Department of Science and Technology, Dollygunj, Sri Vijaya Puram, South Andaman, on or before July 27, 2026. Stakeholders may also submit the information through the official email address notified by the committee.
The detailed list of ratified and non-ratified Persistent Organic Pollutants, along with the prescribed reporting formats, has been made available on the ANPCC website. The committee has sought timely cooperation from all concerned stakeholders to facilitate the effective implementation of the Stockholm Convention and strengthen the management of hazardous chemicals in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
