While the city is abuzz with calls of banishing polythene and other types of waste, electronic waste and its disposal do not figure anywhere on the agenda of environmentalist and the Jharkhand State Pollution Control Board (JSPCB), the main crusaders of clean and safe environment.
According to the provisions of e-waste (Management & Handling) Rules 2011, producers, distributors, bulk consumers and enterprises are responsible for managing e-waste generated by them. While the responsibility of collecting & channelizing it to a recycler vests with a producer of consumer goods, every distributor is responsible for collecting e-waste by providing the consumer a box, bin or demarcated area to deposit e-waste.
“Some companies have provided recycle bin at their service centre but we have not been asked by anyone to provide a customer with such facility,” said store manager of The Mobile Store, Ranchi.
There is nothing on ground or paper to deal with safe disposal of electronic junk generated in the city. Despite a breathing period of one year to put the infrastructure in place, neither any manufacturer of electronic goods nor any distributor has set up a centre to collect e-waste. “We have neither been informed about e-waste management nor has any company approached us to facilitate collection of junk computers and peripherals,” said an employee of National Computer Solution, a Ranchi based dealer.
The JSPCB, an authorised body to oversee compliance of rules is dragging its feet on the issue of e-waste management and has adopted a priority based approach to manage waste. “Right now we have a bigger threat in the form of polythene. We will come to the issue only upon enforcing a total ban on polythene,” said Chairman JSPCB, Mani Shankar adding “We cannot do everything at the same time.”
E-wastes are considered dangerous due to electronic components that contain substances such as lead, cadmium, lead oxide, toxic gases, toxic metals and plastics. These substances are considered hazardous depending on their condition and density. “There are provisions regarding electronic waste but the system of waste management in the city is itself in shambles,” added Shankar.