No proper disposal of 90% e-waste in Indore

Indore: Not even 10 per cent of electronic waste generated in the Swachh city lands up at dismantling unit for eco-friendly disposal causing severe risk to health and environment.

Over 90 per cent of e-waste like computers, chargers, gadgets and phone goes to scrap dealers leading to unscientific disposal or lies unattended for years in houses.

E-waste is growing by 15 per cent per annum in Indore and official figure suggests around 5,000 tonne was generated in the last fiscal of which just about 300 tonne was reported to Regional Pollution Control Board by bulk generators through form 3 of e-waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011 that mandates proper disposal at the dismantling unit.

Though the reported figures were much higher than the previous fiscal 2017/18 when just 40 form 3 were received by the board containing negligible quantity.

Regional Pollution Control Board officer R K Gupta said, “Lack of awareness is the major culprit though there has been gradual increase but a lot needs to be done. Letters were sent to units to summit details on e-waste to the board through form 3.”

The board said letters were sent to over 300 units last fiscal, of which 132 units responded with complete details. Institutions and households are the major generators of e-waste, said experts.

Rumita Verma, a housewife said, “There are many such items which fall into the category of e-waste but we sell them to scrap dealers because that is convenient and there is no other way known to me to dispose such items.”

Respondents said selling to kabadiwalas is also profitable as they buy at lucrative prices and collect from doorstep.

“There is no strictness on e-waste by any monitoring authority. There are norms but no pressure to follow it,” said an industrialist.

Experts said, lack of proper channel to collect, dismantle and recycle e-waste by the administration and lack of awareness are the major hurdles in following norms of e-waste.

Dr Fazal Hussain, an authorized e-waste recycler in Indore said, “Big companies follow e-waste management norms but small scale units and households are completely dependent on scrap dealers for collection and disposal. Negligible quantity reaches us for dismantling.”