The document summarizes a field visit report to the environmental organization Toxics Link. It describes Toxics Link's mission to work on issues related to toxic pollutants and their impacts. The report discusses Toxics Link's strategies of advocacy, media outreach, and legislative advocacy. It also outlines some of Toxics Link's key achievements, such as its role in banning lead in gasoline in Delhi and other cities in 2000, as well as challenges like managing e-waste without legislation in India.

1. Field Visit Report of Organization Toxics Link
Introduction: - Recently I visited the environmental organization Toxics
Link. It was my seven days field visit for understanding an environmental
organization and the issues on which organization works. I understand the issues,
strategies, approach and perspective of the Organization Toxics Link. I also
understand the achievement and challenges of Toxics Link. I also know the
network of this organization which begun from grass root level to international
level. This field visit was basically arranged for the understanding the
environmental organization Toxics Link for six months field placement as
internship program of NCAS.
Toxics Link is an information outreach and environmental
advocacy organization set up in 1996. It has a special emphasis on reaching out to
grassroots groups and community based organization. The areas of its engagements
include research, outreach and policy advocacy on issues of communities and
urban waste, toxics free healthcare, hazardous waste and pesticides.
Organization mission is to: “Working together for
environmental justice and freedom form toxics. We have taken upon ourselves to
collect and share both information about the sources and danger of poisons in our
environment and bodies, and information about clean and sustainable alternatives
for India and rest of the world.”
Issues: - The Toxics Link work on the issues related to toxics pollutants which
affect our environment, health and everyday life. The goal of Toxics Link is to
develop an information exchange and support organization to use research and
advocacy in strengthening campaigns against toxic pollution, help push industries
towards cleaner production, and link groups working on toxics and waste issues. In
the recent years organization works and research on various issues related to toxics
and environmental pollution such as e-waste, bio-medical waste and pollutant
present in our household like lead (Pb), mercury (Hg) etc. the main motto of the
organization is “toxics free world.”
Strategy: - The various kinds of strategies used by the organization Toxics
Link; these are campaign, media and parliamentary and legislative advocacy. The
Toxics link earlier successfully done this kind of advocacy, after the advocacy of

2. this organization in 2000 government ban the lead
containing gasoline i.e. petrol and it’s product in Delhi and
other metro cities in India. The organization also began the
advocacy for banning the lead in house hold dust and
campaign against the cutting of trees in Delhi.
Perspective: - The organization perspective to developed capacities to interact
with the grassroots through outreach amongst various civil society actors, as well
as to play a role in influencing policy and have conversations with other
stakeholders such as industry and technical experts. The Toxics Link doing
programme in these areas:
(I) Toxics-free Health Care: looks at management and disposal of bio-medical
waste and hazards.
(II) Communities and Waste: focuses on campaigns involving municipal
waste.
(III) Clean Industry: aims at tackling issues related to hazardous
industrial waste and toxins.
(IV) Chemicals and Health: addresses concerns about POPs, pesticides
and other chemicals.
My involvement with the Toxics Link: - I joined toxics link on 2nd
June 2008 and work with organization till 7th June 2008, during these six days I
involved in two types of advocacy i.e. media advocacy and the global campaign for
toxics chemical. Firstly a research on lead in Delhi’s household done by Dr. Abhy
kumar, revealed as press release at a press conference in Delhi, its Hindi version of
press release written by me, the press release published in various newspaper in
Delhi including Hindustan Times, The Hindu and The Times of India. Another
work was done by me on NGO/CSO Global Common Statement on The “Strategic
Approach to International Chemicals Management” (SAICM). The NGO/CSO
Global Common Statement on SAICM was developed by representatives of six
NGO networks at a Planning Meeting held in Toronto, Canada, January 23-25,
2008 to launch a Global SAICM Outreach Campaign. I understand the issues of
SAICM and translated its global statement in Hindi.

3. Achievement and Challenges: - The Toxics Link’s achievement is very
important in the field of toxics pollutant in the air like Lead. By the various attempt
and advocacy by this organization for Lead the government banned the lead
containing gasoline in Delhi and other metros. The organization also attempt and
done advocacy for banning the use of toxics metal in hospitals and in paints, like
lead (Pb) and mercury (Hg). In the era of new information technology main
challenge for the organization is the toxics e-waste, because technology changed
very fast in these days, so the rapid increase in e-waste in whole world as well as in
India also. The many countries make legislation on the e-waste but India still have
no any legislation on e-waste. For this purpose toxics link begun advocacy to
government to make legislation on e-waste. The organization also works for e-waste
management and present the model for e-waste recycle.
Conclusion: - In my point of view the organization is doing very good work in
the field of toxics and environmental pollution. The Toxics Link doing advocacy in
various field. By the advocacy of Toxics Link government banned the lead in
gasoline in Delhi and other metro in 2000. The organization have well networking
system, its network begin form grass root level to the national and international
level. The organization trained the medical staff for bio medical waste
management and also trained various organization and people for the management
of toxics waste. The organization also trained the people for recycle the toxics
waste including e-waste. For me the organization is very good place for learning
and understanding the environmental pollution and its impact on human health and
environment.
S.M.ZAKI
AHMAD