The Times of India 01.09.2009
Approval awaited for PCMC's e-waste mgmt centre
PUNE: The Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation's (PCMC) plan to start a collection, segregation, processing and recycling centre for e-waste at Moshi is yet to start, with an approval from the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) awaited.
Speaking to TOI on Saturday, Nagkumar Kunchagi, medical officer, PCMC, said, "The civic body has appointed Green Enviro Solutions to operate the centre at Moshi. The standing committe had passed a resolution in 2007 to allot five acres of land of the garbage depot for the centre. But the centre is yet to start."
When contacted by TOI, B K Mirashe, regional officer, Pune region, MPCB, said, "We have received a proposal from the PCMC for setting up an e-waste management centre. The proposal has been sent to the MPCB head office (in Mumbai) for further approval."
Expressing the need for proper treatment of e-waste, Kunchagi said, "The amount of e-waste generated in cities is increasing with the rise in the use of high technology devices by citizens. The total e-waste generated in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad is 8,000 tonnes per year. There is a need for setting up a network for the collection, segregation, processing and recycling of e-waste."
"The PCMC was to only provide the land while Green Enviro Solutions was to set up the centre and collect, segregate and recycle the e-waste," he explained.
E-waste can be categorised as low value, toxic and precious waste, Kunchagi pointed out. Low value e-waste comprises tin, zinc, iron and copper. Gold, silver and palladium are categorised as precious e-waste. Toxic e-waste comprises lead, cadmium, arsenic, bismuth and mercury. “The extraction of precious waste from e-waste is costly as it requires expensive smelters,” he added.
Speaking to TOI on Saturday, Nagkumar Kunchagi, medical officer, PCMC, said, "The civic body has appointed Green Enviro Solutions to operate the centre at Moshi. The standing committe had passed a resolution in 2007 to allot five acres of land of the garbage depot for the centre. But the centre is yet to start."
When contacted by TOI, B K Mirashe, regional officer, Pune region, MPCB, said, "We have received a proposal from the PCMC for setting up an e-waste management centre. The proposal has been sent to the MPCB head office (in Mumbai) for further approval."
Expressing the need for proper treatment of e-waste, Kunchagi said, "The amount of e-waste generated in cities is increasing with the rise in the use of high technology devices by citizens. The total e-waste generated in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad is 8,000 tonnes per year. There is a need for setting up a network for the collection, segregation, processing and recycling of e-waste."
"The PCMC was to only provide the land while Green Enviro Solutions was to set up the centre and collect, segregate and recycle the e-waste," he explained.
E-waste can be categorised as low value, toxic and precious waste, Kunchagi pointed out. Low value e-waste comprises tin, zinc, iron and copper. Gold, silver and palladium are categorised as precious e-waste. Toxic e-waste comprises lead, cadmium, arsenic, bismuth and mercury. “The extraction of precious waste from e-waste is costly as it requires expensive smelters,” he added.
