At last Govt. wakes up to e waste management

India, as we now know, has become a den for electronic goods. With the software boom and globalization taking full effect, India today has become a huge platform for electronic and software products, with renowned e giants setting up bases here. Well, all things said and done, it’s unfortunate that (amidst all these electronic and economic so called boom), our government has never really thought or looked at the problem of e-waste. The result- heaps of broken and shattered electronic products in almost all streets, lanes and by lanes, in the rivers, seas, mountains, forests everywhere. No, it’s not a sci-fi movie or some unrealistic Bollywood trash. Given such negligence, our nation will soon turn into an e-waste junk yard.

However, there is something to be optimistic about. Thanks to the campaigns of Greenpeace and some other NGOs, the center has decided to think about the issue of e waste management. The efforts have borne fruit and the Environment Ministry has drafted a regulation, to be sent for people’s feedback shortly.

                                              

What exactly is this e waste management? Simply, it is a law which will limit the dumping of e waste and reduce pollution significantly. Lots of nations already have e waste laws in place and the awareness is spreading fast enough. The law will include some clauses which

• Will hold electronic producers responsible for the disposal of their raw materials. Moreover, they also have to guarantee the life cycle of their goods, thereby ensuring proper recycling.
• Will pressurize e firms to use less hazardous raw materials and substances. That means less FBRs, less PVC and lesser degradation of our eco system.
• Will also ban the import of used and second hand e products in India. This will have a positive impact as developed nations will be disallowed to dump toxic e waste here.

To start with, these clauses can lead to effective e waste management. Let’s keep our fingers crossed. It’s high time that the government does something to prevent India from being an electronic trash heap.