Delhi has never really bothered about its electronic waste before. The slums
at Seelampur, Shastri Park and Geeta Colony, Trukman Gate in Central Delhi,
Mundka in the West, and Loni and Mandoli near the interstate order at Ghaziabad
are doing unorganized recycling of e-waste in the city.
Discarded computers, monitors and keyboards are reduced to pieces so they
can recycle. The unorganized factor involved is big in size of electronic
waste. Loni and Mandoli specialize in open burning and acid bath for extraction
of metals and so on. Ideally, this job should be carried out in high-tech
factories that comply with stringent health and environmental regulations.
E-waste contains toxic substances such as lead, cadmium, mercury, plastic,
PVC, barium, beryllium and carcinogens such as carbon black and heavy metals.
It not recycled properly; this deadly mix can pose health and environmental
problems. Currently, Delhi’s civic agencies auction off all their discarded
electronic items to scrap dealers.
Delhi’s E-waste fact sheet:
1. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the country was
standing on a pile of 1,46,180 tonnes of e-waste as “inventory”
in 2005.
2. It would grow by 8,00,000 tonnes by 2012.
3. Delhi is producing 15,000 tonnes per year (as per estimates of non-governmental
agents; the government is reluctant to put a figure to it), is a major player.
4. Unorganized recycles in Maharashtra, the largest producer of e-waste, send
their more hazardous processes to Delhi yards.
