Cochin Port a safe conduit for imported e-waste
by Ajay Kanth, Expressbuzz
23 November 2010 (Kochi) – With the authorities of major port cities across the country upping the ante to bust the import of ewaste, the North Indian traders, who are into importing a large quantity of used electronic goods, have started opting for Cochin Port for the safe import of junk electronic goods from the US, Korea and the UK.
According to the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) officials, several consignments of junk electronic goods had recently landed in the Cochin Port, clearly indicating that the importers were trying their luck with the port to get free clearance for their consignment. "All the consignments are booked by traders from Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Rajasthan. This reveals that the North Indian importers are opting for Cochin Port even as they have easier access to ports in Mumbai, Kandla, Chennai, Visakhapatnam, Paradip and Mangalore," the officials said.
The officials said they were keeping a close watch on the consignments arriving at the Cochin Port as they were able to unearth several containers of junk CRT monitors and photocopiers imported from the US and Korea.
The traders have started to opt for Cochin as the DRI and the enforcement agencies in the major cities have strengthened their operations to thwart the attempts by the traders to import ewaste.
In the last few months, the DRI in Chennai had intercepted five attempts by the importers to bring in old electronic goods, mainly computer peripherals.
According to reports, the intercepted ewaste weighed 120 tonnes. The import of ewaste is regulated under the Hazardous Waste (Management, Handling and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2008. Used electronic and electrical goods could be imported only with the permission of the Ministry of Environment and Health, besides getting the clearance from the Director General of Foreign Trade.
"We have seized two containers containing CRT monitors of 15 and 17 inches in Kochi. None of the monitors was in working condition. The breaking of CRT monitors could pose serious health hazards to the public and it may pollute the environment as it contains hazardous chemicals like nickel, mercury and lead," the DRI officials added.
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