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Avoiding toxin shock

The draft guidelines published by the Central Pollution Control Board for management of electronic waste should prompt the States to review their record in enforcing vital waste management rules and plan for the future. It is of course some comfort that the quantum of E-waste generated annually in India is less than one kilogram per capita. This is much less than, say, the 14 kg per capita in the European Union. But the scenario is likely to be very different in the future . A large volume of E-waste would have to be recycled and residual material disposed of scientifically in the coming years. This is inevitable because the penetration of white goods and gadgets with high obsolescence rates, such as computers and mobile phones, is increasing. Electrical and electronic goods contain hazardous materials, including toxic chemicals such as mercury, lead, cadmium, and chromium. Without a major initiative to prepare municipal authorities to identify and manage these E-wastes, there could be serious consequences for public health and the environment. Urgent attention is therefore needed to ensure compliance with the two key sets of rules, the Hazardous Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules, 2003 and the Municipal Solid Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules 2000, which together can regulate E-waste as well.

Recycling of E-waste is at present done in a manner that poses serious risks to the health of workers involved in the process — they are mostly in the informal sector. The infrastructure available for safe handling of E-waste is limited to two units in the formal sector. Given the parlous state of most other facilities, the CPCB’s recommendation to give tax breaks for investments in land and equipment for waste management is worth considering. The more fundamental problem lies in the poor capacity of civic governments to properly categorise, segregate, and channel E-waste. It would take a dedicated national mission to upgrade waste handling departments for the task. Apart from well-recognised contributors of E-waste such as personal computers, laptops, display terminals, and mobile phones, there are many others — television sets, refrigerators, fluorescent lamps, and so on — that must be dismantled and the hazardous chemicals they contain disposed of safely. A substantial part of residual waste is at present land-filled unscientifically or burnt openly, releasing toxins into the environment. The imperative is to channel all waste into segregated streams as envisaged by the rules and build capacity to handle and dispose of them safely.

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