E-waste threat
E waste produces by india is about 2.2 million tonnes of annually and this year the figure is estimated to reach 33 lakh tonnes.
Along with the rapid digitalisation of India, a new problem is also spreading. This problem is booming electronic garbage (e-waste). All electronic devices come under e-waste which we throw away if it goes bad. For example, computers, motherboards, radios, televisions, bulbs, mobile phones, chargers, batteries, etc. These devices get transformed into e-waste as they go bad. This waste has now become a big danger for India.
This is because disposing of this waste has become a big headache for the whole world. Apart from India, China, America, Japan and Germany are the countries where the level of e-waste has increased dangerously. About 2.2 million tonnes of e-waste are produced in India every year. By the end of 2018, this figure is estimated to reach 3.3 million tonnes.
According to an Assocham report, 20 percent of the e-waste generated in India comes from Maharashtra. Tamil Nadu is the second largest producer of e-waste. After this, Uttar Pradesh (10 percent), West Bengal (9.8 percent) and Delhi (9.5 percent) are in this list. It is a matter of concern that out of the 22 lakh tonnes of garbage that is being generated right now, only about four lakh tonnes are being recycled.
Experts believe that e-waste contains hazardous elements like lead, mercury, cadmium and cobalt. The treatment of e-waste, ie, the chemicals and radiation emitted during recycling pose a threat not only to the environment but also to humans. Being exposed to it increases the risk of nervous system (neuro), breath, skin, cancer, heart related diseases.
Looking at this, it is clear that India faces a big challenge of recycling e-waste. Only five percent of the e-waste in the country is recycled by the organized sector. The remaining 95 percent of e-waste is handed over to the unorganized sector. That is, the workers collect, sort and then strangulate it by hand in an unsafe way. This causes them to face many health problems.
This problem is even bigger in India because most of the e-waste is dealt with junk here. After removing the metals from the e-waste, the remaining waste is thrown into the open like this. This causes serious pollution to air, water and soil. Toxic elements such as lead and mercury present in this waste, due to being thrown in the open, dissolve in air and water, affecting not only the environment but also the health of the people.