As the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) readies for the fourth Swachh Survekshan Abhiyan, it still has absolutely no idea about how to dispose or recycle e-waste. The BMC, the country's richest civic body, has even shed responsibility for e-waste generated by its own office, awarding a contract to a third party and earning Rs 16 lakh from this.
The city generates more than 325 metric tonnes of e-waste per day. As per the Praja Foundation's solid waste management handbook, the BMC can earn Rs 98 crore per year by having collection centres in place and by selling this waste to vendors and factory units.
The BMC has already agreed to sell five-year-old electronic appliances from its building, including desktop computers, printers and air-conditioners to m/s RT Corporation. For this, the civic body would get Rs 16.6 lakh. But when it comes to the rest of the city's e-waste, the BMC remains clueless.
The BMC had made an attempt to fix this back in 2016, by inaugurating a collection point near Mithibai College in Vile Parle. But it was futile, and another attempt was never made towards disposal or recycling of e-waste.
"The BMC has already arranged for transport vehicles with separate spaces for dry waste and e-waste," said an officer from the solid waste management department. "But there has to be more clarity regarding disposal of e-waste."
If e-waste is to be processed scientifically, valuable metals like copper, silver, gold and platinum can be recovered from it. Disposal and recycling of e-waste is different from other types of waste, because it contains carcinogenic equipment like lead, liquid crystal, lithium, nickel, cadmium, beryllium or brominated flame retardants. If e-waste isn't dismantled and processed properly, these toxic constituents can prove to be toxic.
