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by Business Standard (Calcutta)

The move was made at the just concluded meet of the Convention at Geneva. The matter has been referred to the Convention's Technical Working Group, which will consider it at its next meeting scheduled for September.

The need for such imports has arisen because India wants to regulate waste oil and used oil recycling activities. It has finalised the draft notification in this regard, titled Waste Oil (Management and Handling) Rules.

It is hoped at least 30,000 tonnes of such oils available indigenously can be properly re-refined annually and re-used so that lube oil imports could be reduced to that extent.

While the new rules prohibit the import of waste oils (crude oil spills, tank bottom sludge, emulsions), it is in favour of allowing import of used oils (engine oils, turbine oils, compressor oils, transformer oils).

As enabling this clause to this effect has been provided in the new rules.

However, import of used oils and waste oils in on the banned list of the Convention. Even if India wants to re-refine imported used oil, it cannot do so unless the Convention allows it. For this, the used oil item requires to be placed on the "B" list. India has initiated the proposal and hopes to carry it through even though a lot of opposition to the move is anticipated.

The Basel Convention is an international accord under which the transboundary movement of hazardous wastes, particularly from OECD countries to developing countries stands banned.

The Convention provides an elaborate list of such banned items.

But there is another list naming items whose transboundary movement is permissible.