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Though the Indian Supreme Court banned the import of hazardous waste in 1997, 600 tons of e-waste still entered the country in the last six months under the guise of charitable or re-usable materials, all duty-free.

It is estimated that the US alone exports 80 percent of its e-waste to China, India and Pakistan.

Funnily enough, India's regulatory body, the Central Pollution Control Board, continues to deny that e-waste is coming into India. But regardless, it is certain that legal loopholes are being exploited by importers, traders and recyclers alike to take advantage of a profitable business with a high human and environmental impact.

Large e-waste centres exist in Delhi, Meerut, Ferozabad, Chennai, Bangalore and Mumbai, with 25,000 recyclers working in Delhi alone. Workers are poorly-protected in an environment where e-waste from PC monitors, PCBs, CDs, motherboards, cables, toner cartridges, light bulbs and tube-lights are burned in the open, releasing lead, mercury toxins into the air. Metals and non-degradable materials such as gold and platinum, aluminium, cadmium, mercury, lead and brominated flame-retardants are retrieved.

"Trade in e-waste, like that in other scrap, is dominated by the 'informal' sector. Although the waste trade sector in India is known as part of the 'informal' sector, it has a system that is highly organized with extensive co-ordination in an established network," says K. K. Shajahan, principal consultant for Bangalore's Indian Institute of Material Management.

Illustration

HP, Takeback program and Recycling e-waste

HP (Hewlett Packard) has announced that it will accept used printers, scanners, fax machines, personal computers (desktop and notebook), monitors, handheld devices, cameras and associated external components such as cables, mice and keyboards, and send them for recycling. Individuals and corporations can drop their end-of-life products at some of the HP service centers. These centers are limited to some of the major cities in India. Let HP increase the number of such take back centers.

HP is also inviting citizens to make a pledge to recycle e-waste responsibly. For every pledge, HP will donate Rs 50 to Sashays, a voluntary organization committed to finding solutions to problems related to solid waste and e-waste.

Concluded.

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Prof. R. Umamaheswari has completed her B. Com., in 1995 and her M. Com., in 1997 from N. G. M. College, Pollachi affiliated to Bharathiar University, Coimbatore. She did her MBA (Finance & Marketing) in Karpagam Arts & Science College, Coimbatore in 1999. She is qualified with 2 Mphils i.e. M. Phil. (Commerce) and M. Phil. (Management. Currently she is doing her Ph. D. in H. H. Rajahs College, Pudukkotai. She took up her first career as Assistant Financial manager at Sree Balaji Chemicals, Pollachi (April 1999-May 2000). Then she shifted towards academics and working as faculty of management in UG and PG levels at Sree Saraswathi Thyagaraja College from June 2000 to till date. She has also participated and presented papers in many seminars and conferences conducted in National and International levels.