MP finds a way to tackle e-waste

By Muslim Saleem
Bhopal, May 13, 2012
The State capital alone produces nearly 4.36 lakh kilograms of e-waste yearly which is responsible for causing cancer, DNA damage and heart ailments. It is like living with a heap of e-waste and making oneself more prone towards lethal diseases. Madhya Pradesh is going to have e-waste collection centres in four major cities. The first phase will include Indore, Jabalpur, Gwalior and State capital Bhopal, reports SMS News & Features.

Concerned with the accumulating heap of e-waste and the wrong methods used to dispose it causing severe damage to the environment, the Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board decided to open e-waste collection centres in the State.

As per a Union Government notification, e-waste management and handling rules of 2011 in Madhya Pradesh have come into force from May 1. The Madhya Pradesh Government has decided to streamline e-waste disposal and, for the purpose, will open collection centres in Indore, Bhopal, Gwalior and Jabalpur.

In Indore, the centres would be operational this month while the other centres in Bhopal, Gwalior and Jabalpur would come into existence two months later.

The collected e-waste is going to be processed in Indore where the company which was awarded the contract is going to establish an ‘e-waste disposal treatment facility plant’. Initially the company is going to collect the e-waste from different part of the State and it will be processed in Indore.

Madhya Pradesh is among the top ten e-waste producing States and is in 9th position on the list. Every year Madhya Pradesh produces 7,800 tonnes of e-waste. According to the survey conducted by the MPPCB, the major portion of e-waste comprises discarded television sets. In figures television contributes nearly 193.317 metric tonnes of e-waste per year. Refrigerator stands at number two contributing 98.80 metric tonnes yearly. Computer holds the number three position and air conditioner is on number four in contributing the huge quantity of e-waste in the State.

In the first phase a dismantling facility will be developed in which e-waste collected from the State and Indore will be treated. In the second phase the company will install the recycling facility which will recycle the material dismantled in the first phase. The last phase will be completed by establishing metal recovery.

The main issue faced by the e-waste management is the disposal of e-waste with the other waste which is really dangerous as there are chances of disposal of waste but the e-waste is not easily decomposed. It takes time for the disposal and are not totally decomposed in the process.

The company has planned to provide training to local scrap dealers for the proper management of e-waste and the disposal of e-waste. People involved in the collection of e-waste will form a network and will be able to dispose the e-waste in a safe manner.

The lack of awareness is the reason in the proper disposal of waste and it will take time for the collections centres to get the e-waste from the various parts of the State. Initially the bulk producers of e-waste including Government offices, industries, organised sector and other establishments will be targeted for the e-waste collection.