NEW DELHI: In a bid to prevent health risks resulting from exposure to
electronic junk, the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has set up five
e-waste collection centres in its areas. It has also initiated a door-to-door pickup service, which is being offered free of cost.

The collection centres have come up at Kautilya Marg, Palika Niwas, Amrita Shergill Marg, Rajendra Prasad Road and Ashoka Road.

According to NDMC secretary Chanchal Yadav, most people are not aware
of environmental hazards likely to be caused due to unscientific
disposal of old and discarded electronic devices. “Garbage collection is
obligatory function of civic agencies. It is also important to ensure
that e-wastes are getting disposed of properly. We have set up five
collection centres in our areas where people can dispose of electronic
scrap. They can also raise a request by calling NDMC, which will collect
it from their doorstep within a day,” said Yadav.

A steep rise in the use of electronic gadgets, both for domestic and
commercial purposes, has meant that e-waste generation has also gone up
manifold. “We will also be able to find out how much e-waste is
generated on a daily basis,” said Yadav. She added that residents can
make a request on the council’s mobile app—NDMC 311.

Experts attribute the frequent fires at landfill sites to haphazard
dumping of e-waste such as battery, circuits and chips. They say methane
produced by chemicals released from electronic junk causes fire.

According to a WHO report, e-waste-connected health risks may result
from direct contact with harmful materials such as lead, cadmium,
chromium, brominated flame retardants or from inhalation of toxic fumes
as well as from accumulation of chemicals in soil, water and food.

E-waste, if left untreated and disposed of unscientifically, can pose
serious health risks such as damage to central and peripheral nervous
system as well as reproductive and immunity system.

“We will tie up with NGOs, start-ups and agencies like Delhi Pollution
Control Committee (DPCC) for recycling and scientific disposal of
e-waste,” said Yadav.