the Union ministry of environment and forests (mef) has recently notified a draft Batteries (Management and Handling) Rules 2000, to control hazards associated with backyard smelting and unauthorised repro-cessing of lead acid batteries.

The provisions of the draft rules stipulate that battery manufacturers, importers and assemblers can collect one old battery against the sale of a new one. The batteries so collected have to be sent to the re-cycling units, registered with mef, for recycling them in an eco-friendly manner, unless they themselves have such recycling facilities.

In order to make the draft rules comprehensive, importers of new bat-teries dealers as well as organi-sations have been brought under the purview of these rules.Only those re-processors registered with the mef, would be able to participate in sale by auction or contract.

The draft rules seeks to promote up-gradation of the present technology and eco-friendly practices in large, medium or small scale units handling or recycling lead.