Toxics Alert: To manage e-waste, govt considers segregated disposal

With Delhi emerging as a leading hub of electronic waste dumping — according to estimates, Delhi dumps 12,000 tonnes of e-waste every day, next only to Mumbai — the Delhi government has finally woken up to the need for a clear mandate on e-waste disposal in the city. In a meeting with various civic bodies on Feb 2, 2010, the government’s Department of Environment came up with a new plan to encourage residents to dispose of hazardous e-waste like old computers, refrigerator parts, mobile phones and CDs among others, strategically. The government will then get authorised parties to recycle this e-waste. At present, the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has a system of floating tenders to auction discarded electronic items for appropriate recycling and safe disposal, but the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has no mandate for recycling or disposal of hazardous waste. Once the residents begin disposing e-waste separately, authorised collectors will collect the waste and dispose it off for recycling,” Dharmendra said. He added at present, the state has two authorised e-waste recycling centres, one at Roorkee and the other at Manesar. The authorities also plan to subsequently launch an extensive advertisement and awareness campaign on the harmful effects of e-waste and the need to recycle them properly. MCD spokesperson Deep Mathur, meanwhile, said the MCD was “aware of the harmful implications of e-waste” and is “working out a strategy for disposal of the same”.

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To manage e-waste, govt considers segregated disposal

Source: The Indian Express, New Delhi, Date: , 2010