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Piling e-waste turning city toxic
HYDERABAD: Throwing out your old computer in a
garbage dump may lead to mercury poisoning and a possible brain stroke.
Confused? Experts on e-waste (electronic waste) management warned Hyderabadis
against the hazards of not disposing e-waste properly and going by their
claims, the city could have its very own Erin Brockovich story if immediate steps are not taken.
In fact,
some say the city is at the top spot when it comes to illegally converting PC
monitors into television sets especially during lucrative periods like the
ongoing IPL season, and later dumping them in water bodies.
Around
50,000 such converted television sets are manufactured here and sent to other
cities as well.
"There
are very few authorised recyclers of e-waste in Andhra Pradesh whereas there is
no dearth of unauthorised dealers," said Jagadish Kumar Yadav, director of
marketing at Tech Logic E-waste Recyclers, a company based in Bangalore, which
collects electronic garbage from several cities, including Hyderabad.
"These
unauthorised dealers indulge in activities such as converting monitors to TV's
and reselling other appliances too at lower prices. During the IPL season, at
least 50,000 such TVs are sold to bookies, pubs and hotels in various cities
who later simply dispose them in nearby water bodies or open areas, leading to
contamination," he added.
Experts said
chemicals inside electronic appliances, especially mobile phones, laptops and
desktops, such as lead and mercury, could seep through the ground and
contaminate the ground water. Although the process takes long, it would
eventually result in serious ailments, including brain stroke and cancer, among
those exposed.
"Being
an IT hub, Hyderabad generates almost just as much e-waste as Bangalore. But
the amount collected for recycling by authorised dealers is less than half of
that of Bangalore's," said G M Adil, general manager at Global E-waste
Management Solutions (GEMS) which has earmarked the city as a collection point.
Officials
from the company revealed that while the amount of e-waste collected from
Hyderabad is around 1,000 kg per month, the figure in Bangalore is closer to
3,000 kg. The total amount collected annually from here is around only 15% of
what is collected in Chennai, they added.
"There
is a need to spread awareness about proper disposal and recycling of e-waste
here," said Mohammed Ibrahim Aamir Khan, vice president of GEMS,
Hyderabad.
"Unauthorised
dealers pay around Rs 15 more per kg of waste compared to us, so residents
choose to sell old appliances to scrap dealers. We are trying to change that by
placing e-waste bins in several public places and holding workshops in
companies, schools and colleges," he said.
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