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Electronic or Electrical waste (E-waste), comprising of items as diverse as discarded

mobiles, personal computers, CD-ROMs, electrical appliances etc, has become an


important issue in the management and disposal of solid wastes. A natural outcome of the
above phenomenon is the need of a correct measurement of its impact so that a suitable
response to the menace is formulated. The following lines explore the need to provide the
same for India, a fast developing nation with somewhat less regulatory structure in place
for these new-age issues.

The exponential speeds with which e-commodities are getting obsolete, coupled with the
lax attitude towards their disposal have all but led to a serious environmental and health
hazard. This is especially true of countries like India, which are already strained by the
demands of education, health, poverty of vast stretches of the population in its march
towards development. Interestingly an added sweet-poison for India has been that it is a
net importer of the e-waste. A simple math can show up the cost of dismantling a
Personal Computer in India to be a fraction of that in the U.S. This all in gross
contravention to the Basel norms laid down for the management of toxic wastes.
Essentially it implies that India is a dumping ground for the west. Compounding the issue
is the extra-legal nature of the trade, which makes it near impossible to measure the exact
amounts of e-waste recycled or disposed off. To mark out the associated health hazards to
humans requires but a cursory glance to secondary school science text-books. A presence
of such metals as Mercury, Cobalt, Barium, Arsenic etc. requires the waste management
techniques to be of the highest standard, which unfortunately the laws of economics do
not allow. Thus a true picture of the damage, both to ecology and society has largely been
ignored.

A measurement of the e-waste phenomenon requires first of all a proper definition of the
term ‘e-waste’ which can serve as a guiding light in its measurement. For this many of
the local ad hoc rules and laws framed with respect to e-waste need to be re-visited. Thus
can be drafted a comprehensive classification of the concept. Next a correct knowledge of
the variables involved like an assessment of India’s trade volume, its import regime, the
number of recycling units and disposal yards, and the various e-waste management
techniques employed. Along with this, the stake-holders such as the concerned ministry,
the pollution control boards, the various manufacturers, recyclers etc. need to be
identified. Lastly there is a need for a careful recognition of the various downsides to the
measurement of the issue. These could be the practices to fudge data, resistance to the
correct record of measurement amongst others. In essence any deterrents need to be
recorded as they can provide more than an indication to the draft of the final policy.

The struggle against the menace of e-waste has largely been sporadic and the awareness
limited to Indian metros. This should however prove as a stimulation to tackle the
problem headlong and renewed zeal.

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