CEE Jul-Sep-2012

defecation around. Domestic waste may be hazardous if left unattended or dumped on streets/residential premises. The Delhi government introduced dustbins of different colours for bio– degradable and non-degradable waste but it did not work. It also organized training programmes to public and garbage pickers. The department also suggested installing an organic waste converter which can convert bio-degradable waste into pre– compost in 15 minutes which ultimately becomes organic manure in next 10 days. The technique helped in overcoming the space shortage required for dumping the waste in keeping city neat, clean and green. Bulk of electronic waste (e-waste) is the largest toxic waste problem of the 21 51 century. With 30 per cent annual growth rate, it is expected to increase to 8 lakh tonne by 2012. India also gets huge amount of e-waste from Europe, America and other countries. Heavy metals like cadmium, mercury and lead present in the waste leach into the ground and finally into the ground water. The glass cathode ray tubes (CRTs) found in television and computer display monitors, each contain and average of four pounds of lead if multiplied with number of millions of computers/ TV sets becoming obsolete every year, the lead available will be in million pounds. Disposal of other obsolete electronic products is also adding to the growing waste problem. E-waste management in our country is mostly unorganized. It goes through a chain of steps. Obsolete goods from households are either dumped or sold to kabadis , who pick up all useful material , sell it to local scrap dealers, local scrap dealers after dismantling and separating crude components sell to specialized dealers who extract metals like gold, silver, aluminum, copper, iron, brass, platinum etc after acid washing or burning. Metals are sold to respective metal dealers and leftover solid waste then dumped at the dumping place. It is then dumped in landfill sites. This system is responsible for processing about 80 per cent of India's e-waste. There is lack of legislative framework in our country to address the issue of electronic waste management. Only 40 per cent of e-waste enters the recycling stream; the rest remains in warehouses/ store houses. The hazardous e-waste entering India under the guise of charity and study material from abroad is threatening the country's environment and security. Export of any such e-waste is absolutely illegal and against the spirit of the Basel Convention - an international treaty of the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP). The Indian e– waste re-cycling system is not technically and economically equipped neither hazard free even to handle in-house generated e-waste. Developed countries are wise and prefer to dispose off their e– waste by paying for its export instead of actually investing in developing recycling infrastructure which is very expensive. They find India a cheaper place to recycle e-waste. As a policy, the government should take steps to control import of hazardous wastes in the country. Irrespective of the source and type of waste, there is a need for proper and integrated waste management at all stages-collection, transportation, segregation , treatment, recycling and disposal. Waste management policy revolves around the 3 Rs-reduce, reuse and recycle in addition to taking care of the environment, health and aesthetics. Several broad strategies have been worked out mainly for Delhi and can be replicated in other cities of India. Firstly, the people should pro-actively participate in waste management and for that clean city campaign involving non-government organizations, private companies and consumer federations must be organized. Delhi may introduce dhalao free system of garbage disposal, i.e. garbage "ON WHEELS" like the one very successful in Bengaluru . In this approach, garbage is collected right from the place it is generated and dumped at the landfills. However, landfills in Delhi and other metropolitan cities are not landfills in true sense but are dumping ground which causes health and environmental hazards. They should be replaced with sanitary landfills where garbage is properly disposed of and used effectively for production of resources like gas, electricity, manure, etc. Segregation is an important step of waste disposal and if this process starts right from the individual household level , at least segregating biodegradable and non-degradable waste and composting of bio degradable waste at the site, may reduce the total waste for further processing at least by 50%. Plastic can be a good source of fuel in cement industries where furnaces are used at high temperature of about 12000 °C. The technology is cost effective and environment friendly. The other segment where 35