Maha Govt policy on e-waste disposal soon

Maharashtra government is formulating a policy for disposal of increasing amount of electronic waste (e-waste) in cities like Mumbai and Pune in a scientific manner, a senior official said.

The state government's environment department and MMRDA are working on the policy to tackle e-waste which has assumed serious proportions," Department Secretary Valsa Nair Singh told PTI.

Each year, Maharashtra produces 26,270 tonnes of e-waste which contains hazardous elements like Palladium and Cadmium. However, the waste is dumped at various places without recycling, Singh said.

The maximum e-waste dumping is in Mumbai and Pune and poses health hazard and environmental issues, she said. Lead and metal pieces from the e-waste are mixed with landfill and groundwater, she added.

If we keep growing at this rate, then by 2011 the state would have five lakh tonnes of e-waste or 40 per cent of the entire country, the IAS official said.

Taking these factors into consideration, the government is working on the policy, she added.

There are private operators engaged in disposal of e-waste in Maharashtra and the state government wants a formal system to deal with the issue, the official said.

"In foreign countries, e-waste gets disposed completely with some of it being recycled. Such techniques are required here to expedite speedy disposal of e-waste," she said.

A  recent study by a central institute has observed that electronic waste in the country is growing at 10 per cent every year, she said.

The study also stated that there are no rules or laws in place for e-waste management, nor recycling facilities designed to protect workers and the environment.

Singh heads the core group appointed to prepare the policy. The group includes officials from MMRDA and experts in the field. We have prepared a feasibility report which would be discussed before making final policy, she said.

The policy would be implemented with private-public partnership, she added.