Broad Thematic Area 7: Handling of Hazardous Substances

Development is quintessential for the human civilization growth, but this should not be achieved at the cost of the environment. Recent extreme climatic and anthropogenic impacts felt across the difficult States of the Indian Himalaya have raised an alarm for deciphering and implementing proactively the suitable types of the development with negligible impact on the human as well as environment. To save the Himalaya environment, a variety of strategies are being called up to deal with solid and hazardous waste with an emphasis on producing less waste and pollution by way of adopting the basic three R´s principle: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. "Hazardous wastes" mean any waste which by reason of any of its physical, chemical, reactive, toxic, flammable, explosive, or corrosive characteristics causes danger or is likely to cause danger to health or environment, whether alone or when in contact with other wastes or substances. In many cases, this is because of a lack of knowledge about hazardous waste risks and/or result from the unsafe or improper handling of equipment as well as from improper work practices. Therefore, it needs to be monitored and controlled from the moment the waste is generated until its ultimate disposal. Moreover, efficient handling and the safe management of hazardous wastes also require an expertise in the skills and techniques of the latest innovations, which in turn are often based upon baseline data and local experiences in the region. In addition, capacity building and awareness programme concerning about hazardous wastes and its precautionary measures need to be disseminated as widely as possible. Under the NMHS, following 02 projects are ongoing, which are directly addressing the key issue "Handling of Hazardous Substances".