NEWS

By end of January this year Tamil Nadu government will put in place a policy specially to deal with the problem of e-waste . According to sources, if this happens, it will be the first State in the country to have such a policy. The move is a shot in the arm for e-waste advocacy groups that have been fighting for a structured e-waste disposal and processing system.

In 2009, Chennai alone produced 21,200 tonnes of e-waste. This makes the city the third highest generator of e-waste after Bangalore and Mumbai.But the real problem with e-waste is not generation, but processing. Electronic devices contain numerous toxic substances, which can lead to heavy environmental damage. About 90-95 per cent of the ewaste generated in India is dealt with by unauthorised, informal recyclers.Allegedly,there is a strong mafia to protect the business.