A top industry source said that this core committee which comprises members of Indian Battery Manufacturers' Association, lead smelting associations, small-scale battery manufacturers, members of the CII and members from the ministry of mines.

According to the official, the battery majors in the organised sector were instrumental in giving serious thought to the problem of unorganised lead smelting. Almost 70 per cent of a battery's raw material consists of lead and improper recycling can lead to serious pollution hazards, said the official.

The core committee is slated to submit their set ofrecommendations to the ministry of environment and forests once they come up with concrete steps to deal with the problem.

The main hazard is brought about by scrap traders who buy the batteries (in the case of storage battery industry) and recycle the same in `open bhattis' which are also known as tandoor type furnaces, where smelting is not done under controlled conditions. This leads to serious cases of air pollution.

The battery majors in the organised sector insist on customers returning the batteries after they become useless. But in most cases, they are purchased by scrap traders, who offer better prices for the used batteries, said industry sources.

According to a government source, the core team will adopt the best work practice after studying international trends. It is believed that rules and regulations are quite strict with regard to recycling methods.

A single body of dealers apparently, collect the used lead and dispose it off under controlled conditions, which prevents unorganisedpollution.

One has to frame specific procedures in the country by adopting the best of international practices, said an official. It is estimated that only 30 per cent of the batteries are returned to the dealers which essentially means that most batteries are sold to scrap dealers in the open market. As far as the unorganised sector is concerned, nearly the entire amount goes into recycling in an inefficient manner.

The core group is expected to meet again after they formulate certain recommendations.