E-Wasting to Danger

As the issue of e-waste management has become a top most priority for administration, Pune city is sitting on the pile of 3600 tonnes of e-waste. The disposal system for the electronic waste is waiting to be set up because municipal corporation has yet to decide on the site for the same. And all this when municipal commissioner himself have promised to implement the system.

According to officials reports, total Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipments (WEE) in Maharashtra is 20270.6 tonnes out of which Pune contributes 2584.21 tonnes and Pimpri Chinchwad area contributes 1032.37 tonnes. Central Pollution Control Board has identified Pune as among top ten cities generating e-waste. Alarmed by these warning, PMC commissioner Pravinsingh Pardeshi had announced in January this year that two plots will allotted to dispose off the e-waste in the city. After that the proposal was soon forgotten and there is no progress on the front. Now, officials claim that PMC has earmarked a five acre of land for the purpose but they are unsure where this land is.

According to annual report on e-waste management prepared by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board, more than 19,000 tonnes of e-waste is generated in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad area and the projected growth in the e-waste is estimated at 3500 tonnes a year. At present, 40 percent of the waste collected at PMC’s garbage depot at Uruli Devachi is consists of e-waste. The same reports also says that obsolence rate of cellular phones, personal computers, Tvs and refrigerator in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad is 2 years, 5 years, 15 years and 17 years respectively. That means number of cell phones sold two years ago will be return as e-waste today.
Suresh Jagtap, deputy municipal commissioner, solid waste management of the PMC said, "We are yet to fix a site for the disposal of e-waste. Just now we are working on the plan but everything is at too primary level and nothing substantial can be said." Jagtap said that there are no concrete rules in Maharashtra regarding this subject and a lot of groundwork had to be done for the same.

Interestingly, PMC had recently announced that it will conduct a survey to assess the volume of e-waste in the city. Shankar Kalmani of Saarathi, is pursuing the matter with the PMC said, "PMC wants this process to hand over to private companies. They are failing to achieve this and in the process, a large chunk of e-waste is exposed to the environment causing lot of damage. The matter can be resolved in one or two meetings but almost six months are wasted in the process. This is unacceptable in all respect."

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Hazards of E-waste recycling
Components Hazards
Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) : Silicosis, Inhalation or contact with phosphor with cadmium or other metals.
Printed Cicuit Board : Tin and Lead Inhalation, Respiratory irritation
Plastics from computer and peripherals : Probable Hydrocarbons, heavy metals and brominated dioxins exposure
Toner Cartridges : Respiratory tract irritation, carbon black possible human carcinogen
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(Source : Maharashtra Pollution Contorl Board, )
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Yearly addition of e-waste in Pune, Pimpri Chinchwad
Cell phones : 2,20,499
PCS : 19,743
Refrigerators : 48,075
Tvs : 43,705
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(Source : Census of India)