from Suresh Padiyar
for Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (GA)
Mangalore, Jun 20: We are of late, increasingly hearing about the ill-affects of tears the ozone layer enveloping nvironment that protects the world from ultra-violet rays of the sun has been suffering. Are we,in our day-to-day life, taking care to ensure that what we or people known to us do do not harm those doing it besides endangering the health and lives of the human beings at large? Do we pause to think how far we are responsible for the phenomenon of the thinning ozone layer which, coupled with the volatile climatic changes that takes place mainly because of unreasonable activities of the human beings, can lead the world to the point of no return?
Carbon Tetrachloride(CTC) is the most hazardous ozone depleting substance that is widely used by industries mainly as a cleaning agent. Industries continue to use it although this product has been identified as a major culprit in the Montreal Protocol for which India is a signatory, under which the CTC has to be phased out completely from our country before January 1, 2010. It may be noted that long term exposure to CTC also results in health problems associated with intestines, kidney and central nervous system.
We think in terms of securing the future of our children by educating them, sacrificing comfort for their needs, saving for their future use etc., But we need to be aware that our children and grand children will be staring at a bleak feature if we do not stop using CTC and other ozone depleting substances, allowing ultra violet rays that can cause blindness and skin cancer besides resulting in the death of various vegetations and aquatic animals, to reach the earth.
Under the Montreal Protocol, 190 countries agreed to drastically reduce the usage of CTC and totally stop it's usage on December 2009. As CTC has not been banned totally, it still is available although it's supply has been drastically reduced. Industries still use it, although safer alternative solutions are available. Still, no single substance has been found to have the capability of totally replacing CTC on its own.
GTZ , a german technical cooperation entity, has been working for the eradication of CTC being used by the industries such as textiles, yarn spinning, offset printing, electroplating, precision metal casting, diamond polishing, metal cleaning etc., where it's use has been high.
Our country, a signatory to the Montreal Protocol, has set up an ozone cell under the ministry of environment and forests, which is engaged in restricting and lessening the use of CTC. GTZ is involved with holding discussions with industries that are using CTC, evaluating on their needs and helping them to decide on an alternative chemical in place of CTC. It conducts detailed tests on possible alternative liquids in laboratories duly taking into their efficacy, cost effectiveness and health hazards they pose, besides safety. They do all this to come up with a list of alternative products that the industries can choose from independently in place of CTC.
Wherever necessary, it also organizes seminars and capacity building training programmes by contacting industrial associations. It also has been spreading this information on phasing out CTC through the media, industrial websites and monthly magazines brought out by chambers of commerce.
Industries dependent on CTC will not get CTC after December 31, 2009. So, they must make preparations now itself to shift to suitable alternative producs. If they have any questions on this, they can send it to ctc-phaseout@airtelbroadband.in. They can also contact Karnataka consultans under the National CTC Phase-outPlan viz., K P Jayatheertha (9448480364, 080-23500364, e-mail:jtheertha@gmail.com), Sudhindra Harnell (9845631685, e-mail: ;harnell@rediffmail.com) or website: www.ctc-phaseout.org.