Massive waste import in developing counties: transfer of technology or transfer of hazardous?

Tens of thousands of used computer /machinery and related equipments , which are difficult and expensive to dispose of in developed countries because of their hazardous nature , are annually imported under pretext of “ Second-hand machinery”.

There machines contain high amounts of hazardous material such lead, mercury , chromium and plastics , since bulk of imported consignment is obsolete or beyond repair , it is cannibalized for useable parts and then discarded , allowing unknown quantities of the poisons to seep into the country’s environmental resource , health of people working in the unregulated’ recycling of such equipment is compromised .
Pakistan , India are signatory to the Basel convention on control of trans-boundary Movements of hazardous waste and their disposal , which monitors the movement f such type of toxic waste .

Convention become flexible when the goods are to be used for same purpose – i.e. old computers are to be used as second-hand machines. As a result the relevant regulating agencies in Pakistan deny the import of hazardous waste and say that brining in used computer is permissible since they will be reused.

Much of theses consignments are in practices stopped and sent of “recycling”, the rules of Basel convention are actually flouted because of the machines are no longer being used for same purpose.

The environmentally safe disposal of such waste in bound by strigent laws in the developed world and is an expensive proposition. Therefore a substantial portion is dumped in developing countries such as Pakistan and India, where such environmental laws either don’t exist or the officials in charge are inefficient or corrupt.

Disguised as Technology transfer or second-hand machinery to facilitate low-cost goods production, the toxic waste is sold readers in poorer countries.

Goods comprising toxic components had outlived their usefulness they had to be properly dispose of and the developed countries were very sensitive about their environment and the relevant authorities there ensued that the stringent environmental protection laws were implemented properly, and proper disposal cost amount huge. Some unscrupulous business house in the developed western countries had found a novel method to dispose of the toxic material cheaply.

Transfer of technology (one example out hundreds cases)

A mercury plant was being imported from Denmark by Lahore Based firm (Pakistan) under catchy slogan of “Transfer of technology”. it was not declared that the plant located in the vicinity of Copenhagen harbor had been shut down by government of Denmark as its obsolete machinery had released mercury in the sea .
We urged the authorities concerned to get the consignment checked properly to ensure that unscrupulous elements were not making a windfall at cost of country’s environment.

It also needs technical qualified person in developing countries and authorities. Developed countries should provide assistant to developing countries stop develop mach9insim to stop unauthorized import in name f “transfer of Technology