Enter e-waste, insert curse

By SNV Sudhir

Visakhapatnam , Oct. 13: The Information Technology revolution has brought many blessings and one major curse—burgeoning e-waste. Electronic devices such as computers, servers, mainframes, monitors, TVs and telecommunication devices are dumped by most users once they go out of fashion. The piling up of e-waste has become alarming in India too.
The country generates about 1.5 lakh tonnes of e-waste annually and almost all of it finds its way into the informal sector, as there is no organised system to dispose of it. Metropolitan cities such as Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru, which have a large IT sector, are at higher risk of environmental pollution from e-waste.
According to the study conducted by the NGO, Toxic Link, Mumbai faces grave health and environmental risks because of the dumping of 19,000 tonnes of e-waste. Similarly, a study by the Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute of Kolkata found that people in Delhi are about twice as likely to suffer from lung ailments because of the presence of high amount of e-waste. Bangalore generates 15,000 tonnes of e-waste every month.
But the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board has put it at 10,000 tonnes a month. Many components of obsolete electronic equipment are considered toxic and are not biodegradable. If treated properly, e-waste is a valuable source for secondary raw materials. However, if not treated properly, it becomes a major source of toxins and carcinogens.
Hazardous substances found in e-waste include lead, cadmium, chromium and flame-retardant plastics. Inhaling or handling such substances or being in contact with them on a regular basis can damage the brain, nervous system, lungs, kidneys and the reproductive system. "It is estimated that around two million obsolete computers are dumped by government offices, business houses, industries and households," says Prof Srinivas of Gitam University. "Manufacturers also produce around 1,200 tonnes of electronic scrap."
Personal computers get obsolete once in two years and consumers think it convenient to buy a new computer rather than upgrade the old one. Because of the lack of rules on treatment of e-waste, these PCs mostly end up in landfills or are partly recycled in unhygienic conditions or thrown into waste streams. A study conducted by Gitam University students found that huge quantities of PC scrap is exported by foreign countries in the form of reusable components. This is estimated to touch 50,000 tonnes a year.
"e-waste is a rapidly growing environmental problem in the world and India," said Prof Srinivas. "India has to handle not only waste generated domestically but also e-waste which is dumped by developed countries." Environmental organisations have warned that India would have to handle about eight lakh tonnes of e-waste by 2012, unless it wakes up and devises concrete ways to tackle the menace.

Students show the right way
A project to tackle e-waste conceived by students of Gitam University gained applause at the Students in Free Enterprise’s (SIEF) meet which was held recently at Mumbai. SIEF has a presence in more than 40 countries across the globe and its approval has inspired the students. “India’s lack of safe e-waste-disposal mechanism is growing to a crisis situation,” says Satyanarayana, a B-Tech student of Gitam University. “There is an urgent need to deal with e-waste, which is posing a major threat to environment and public heath.” The project planned by the students focuses on educating the general population. Meanwhile, a local steel unit, Vizag Profiles, has signed a MoU with the Centre for Entrepreneurship Development of Gitam University to start an e-waste-recycling unit.