German expert urges e-waste assessment in India

Dr. Porst, German e-waste management expert has underlined the need to immediately conduct a Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment (WEEE) assessment in Chennai. Addressing Enviro-2005, a conference on environmental safety and health, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry, southern region,in Chennai, Dr. Porst urged the Tamil Nadu Government to establish a nodal agency in Chennai, on the lines of that set up in Karnataka, to look into e-waste management in the city. It is imperative for Chennai and Kerala devise ways to introduce scientific e-waste and hazardous waste management systems, including creation of a scientific landfill using compacted clay layer, HDPE sheets and geo-textile sheets. A CII press release said Dr. Porst observed at the meeting that there was no policy either at the State or national level to address the challenges posed by e-waste. Delhi disposed a minimum of 12,000 tonnes of e-waste in 2004. Bangalore, which had 1,322 software companies, 38 hardware units and business process outsourcing units with a workforce of 60,000, disposed 8,000 tonnes of the waste last year. However, there were only two modern recycling units in Bangalore. Dr. Porst said the State Governments should consider incorporating extended manufacturers responsibility in their IT policies prescribing norms that the manufacturers and user industries had to follow while disposing e-waste. More

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