CHENNAI: In what has come as a major breakthrough in containing environmental and health-related impacts of Chrysotile or white asbestos globally, the Indian delegation participating in the Rotterdam Convention has agreed to list the material in the Annex-III of the convention for prior informed consent (PIC). This is a historial change, as India has always claimed there wasn’t sufficient evidence to prove the harmful effects of asbestos. If Chrysotile or white asbestos is listed, then open and transparent sharing of information on the harms and hazards of the listed substance becomes mandatory. However, nations such as Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Vietnam and Sudan are still opposing the listing. According to the WHO, asbestos kills 1,00,000 people every year.“This is a major breakthrough in ending the deadlock over the inclusion of Chrysotile in the PIC list. Chrysotile has twice before been recommended for inclusion by the Chemical Review Committee of the Convention and is now being considered for the 3rd time,” said Madhumitta Dutta, a member of ROCA.“In the 3rd and 4th Conference of Parties (CoP) India, along with a handful of other countries, had obstructed the inclusion of Chrysotile under the pretext of inadequate health data,” said Alexandra Caterbow, co-coordinator of ROCA, in an email communication with Express. “India’s change in position will have considerable influence in changing the opinion of the remaining dissenting countries and hopefully, before the end of the conference, Chrysotile will be included on the PIC list by COP 5,” Alexandra added. Interestingly, on the first day of the conference, the Indian delegation was opposed to adding asbestos to the list following which, NGOs presented it with the cancer culprit award. In 2004, the Indian Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers commissioned the National Institute of Occupational Health to conduct a study on implementation of Rotterdam Convention. But, in 2008, it was found that the study had funding from Asbestos Cement Product Manufacturers Association.Meanwhile, Cuba has blocked the listing of Endosulfan on the grounds of financial and technical support. India, has remained silent on this issue.
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