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There are nearly 60 large and medium scale and over 350 small-scale units in the country involved in producing various asbestos-based products.

New Delhi , Nov. 10

ASBESTOS units in the country may soon have to comply with more stringent emission and workplace standards. The Union Environment Ministry is in the process of revising the emission standards to 0.2 fibre/cc under the Environment (Protection) Act, the Union Minister of Environment and Forests, Mr T.R. Baalu, said here on Monday.

Inaugurating an international conference on chrysotile asbestos cement products, Mr Baalu also said that his Ministry has urged the Labour Ministry to revise the existing limit for asbestos fibre content at workplace to 0.5 cc and further limit to 0.1 fibre/cc by January 2004 under the Factories Act.

"These are in line with the standards prevailing globally", he added.

An expert committee appointed by the Environment Ministry in August 2001, to examine the entire gamut of issues relating to asbestos based fibre units, had suggested stringent emission limits for use and manufacture; installation of automatic asbestos debagging system and periodic monitoring of asbestos units by independent agencies.

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) had also recommended stringent emission and workplace standards in asbestos industries.

There are nearly 60 large and medium scale and over 350 small-scale units in the country involved in producing various asbestos-based products.

Mr Baalu used the occasion to highlight that any unregulated use of asbestos does pose a threat to both environment and human health.

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