'Actual practice to dispose e-waste absent'
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, February 21 2020:
Even though the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change has laid down certain guidelines for safe disposal of e-waste (discarded electrical/electronic devices) like computer, television etc, the actual application is far from desirable, which is unfortunate for the people and the generations to come.
Making the above statement to The Sangai Express today, National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT) Scientist D Thingom Imopishak continued that with the rapid advances in technology, the purchase and use of electronic devices like computer, washing machine, refrigerator, mobile phone, air conditioner, electrical and sound devices, toys at houses, offices, educational institutes also increases.
These devices are disposed when they become obsolete.
However, people never give much thought about the harmful chemicals released from e-waste, he maintained.
After the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change issued a notification in March 23, 2016, new rules were inserted in the E-waste Rules Management 2016, which later came into effect in October 1, 2016.He added that the Ministry has been preparing the guidelines of the e-Waste Management Rules since 2008.Imopishak further stated that companies of electronic devices give an expiration date to each of their product.
When they become obsolete the next step is to safely dispose them.
However, disposing the obsolete devices is a challenge as they contain chemicals which are hazardous to health, he said.
The Ministry has declared that these devices, when disposed in landfills or crushed, the chemicals inside them can seep into the soil and the ground contaminating water sources or plants, he noted.
A series of awareness programmes led by NIELIT Director were conducted since 2017 to disseminate information and awareness about the rules included in the E-waste management Rules as part of the Government of India's 'Digital India' campaign.
The awareness organised by NIELIT about safe and effective e-waste management was given to over 600 Government and private employees in Imphal, he added.
Similar awareness programme was organised at Churachandpur and Senapati districts as well.
He maintained that the important advice of the awareness sessions was to always separate e-waste from other types of waste.
The rules given by the Ministry are applied to every manufacturer, producer, consumer, bulk consumer, collection centres, dealers, e-retailer, refurbisher, dismantler and recycler including their components, consumables, parts and spares, he said.
However, the rules do not cover micro enterprises and radioactive wastes.
In order to collect the e-waste for disposal or recycling, any private firm/company will have to get license from Manipur Pollution Control Board, he added.
A proper disposal unit is made for NIELIT, he said while adding that the solid waste plant of MAHUD Department in Lamdeng has all kinds of waste including e-waste.
This could pose a huge threat to the people and the authorities concerned should take up necessary measures to adopt effective measures of disposing e-waste in the State.
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