Indian Express 13.01.2010
E-waste processing remains grounded despite efforts from civic bodies
With the growth of the city’s IT sector, e-waste menace continues to plague the city. But the authorities are yet to come up with a solution for its disposal.
Pune is one of the 10 Indian cities that generate large quantities of e-waste but it is yet to set up an e-waste segregating facility or a processing plant despite efforts from the two civic bodies. While one facility has been stalled by local residents, the other is yet to get the pollution control board nod.
Three months ago the Pimpri-Chichwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) had planned a processing and recycling centre for e-waste in Moshi but the proposal is yet to get Maharashtra State Pollution Control Board (MPCB) clearance. The Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) plan to set up an e-waste disposal plant at Yelewadi too ran into hurdles with local residents opposing the project. Suresh Jagtap, deputy municipal commissioner, PMC, said the civic body has dropped the plan of setting up the plant. It is trying to find an alternative solution. “Understanding the hazard posed by e-waste, the PMC had provided separate bins for dumping e-waste but the response was very poor. The process of collection and segregation of e-waste needs to be streamlined and we are working on it in consultation with experts,” said Jagtap.
Nagkumar Kunchagi, medical officer, PCMC, said MPCB is yet to give its nod for the e-waste processing project initiated by the civic body. “We made a detailed plan for the collection, segregation and processing of e-waste and allotted five acres of land in Moshi for the proposed plant,” he said.
Based on a study conducted in 2006, according to the figures available with the MPCB, of the total 20,270.6 tonnes of e-waste generated in Maharashtra, Pune generated 2,584.21 tonnes, over 25 per cent, while Pimpri-Chinchwad generated 1,032.37 tonnes.
P K Mirashe, regional officer, MPCB, Pune region, said MPCB has got only one proposal so far — that of PCMC — and it has been forwarded to the head office for clearance. “Considering the growing number of IT companies in Pune region, we had recently issued a public notice asking all IT companies and other firms that produce e-waste to come up with the quantity of waste produced. Till now we have not received any details but we are planning to streamline the system from next month” he said. “The companies are segregating the e-waste through dealers and are exporting it,” he said.
Deepak Shikarur, IT sub-committee head, Mahratta Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture, said, “In developed countries lead and cobalt are not allowed in electronic components so that they can be recycled.”
