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With increasing globalization, the dreams of a nation like India to be connected with the rest of the world have seen the daylight thanks to more than 500 million computers and a billion mobile phones.
But just like every coin has two sides, the dark side of this booming tech industry of India is the mass production of electronic waste or e-waste. The government, public and private sector alone contribute to about three-fourths of the e-waste produced. The rate at which this waste is produced is far higher than the waste that Indian recycling industry can treat and control leading to a huge backlog being thrown in dump yards and landfills. Lead and other heavy metals from e-waste account for the maximum damage caused to land due to soil pollution and water contamination. The Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change designed the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), which puts the onus on the companies manufacturing the products to use eco-friendly designs so as to reduce recycling cost. The EPR program in India calls for collection 30% of waste in two years and 70% waste in seven years. Our need to have the latest device is harming not just the environment but also the people who work in hazardous conditions segregating and processing this e-waste, especially in India and its neighbouring countries where e-waste regulations are not as solid as in the EU or the US of A. The poverty and corruption that exists leads to many people willing to work in such dangerous conditions to earn a living wage. The solution lies in formalising the e-waste sector in India and putting into action stringent laws that prohibit other nations from dumping waste in India, something similar to the Not In My Back Yard (NIMBY) movement in African countries. E-Parisaraa is India's first government authorised e-waste dealer, operational since 2005. More such e-waste dealers are coming up to serve the need of the hour and hopefully regularise this industry, saving many lives as well as the environment.
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2 Comments
E-waste are becoming a new problem in Nepal too.
Posted 20-01-2018 02:17
Hi, Ramal! As technology advances at a rapid pace, the problem of e-waste continues to intensify. The problem of e-waste has become very serious in the past few years, with people purchasing and discarding various electronic devices (such as smartphones or computers) just so they can have the latest model. Electronic waste is harmful to the environment as they are mostly made up of non-biodegradable materials, and even some metals that can be toxic to various organisms. Not only that, electronics usually contain precious metals that are very rare and limited resources. A systematic approach to properly collect and recycle e-waste is needed in order to stop pollution and save the precious metals. As the precious metals can be a source for profit, I think e-waste processing companies can emerge to collect and process e-waste.
Posted 08-01-2018 19:08