State to come up with integrated e-waste management facility at Sonarpur

kolkata: The West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB) is coming up with an integrated e-waste management facility at Sonarpur in South 24-Parganas with this waste posing a major challenge amidst increasing dependency on technology.

"In the year 2020-21, a joint study by WBPCB and West Bengal Electronic Development Corporation has revealed that 41848 tonnes of e-waste has been generated in the state which is significantly more in comparison to the last three years. So, WBPCB is seriously working on management of this waste," state Environment minister Ratna De Nag said.

Kalyan Rudra, chairman of WBPCB, said that the Board is planning to formalise the non formal sector for effective management and handling of e-waste. "There are some markets like Chandni Chowk in central Kolkata or Mograhat in South 24 -Parganas where electronic products are brought for repair, exchange etc. It will not be possible for us to take awareness among all the shopkeepers individually about the basics of such wastes that comprise three components collection, dismantle and recycling for effective management. So we are planning to deal with the association of these markets for making them aware of concept management of e-waste," a senior official of WBPCB said.

Presently, there are 5 authorised dismantler and recycler while 65 authorised e-waste collection centres under the monitoring of the Board. A major chunk of e-waste is being handled by a network of local kabadiwalas or ragpickers who move door-to-door collecting e-waste.

While their collection process is efficient and foolproof, their recycling process is not. The electronic items collected by them is broken down into pieces by bare hands in open spaces. This leads to release of toxic gases into the environment which is harmful for their own health as well as that of their family members.

This method of recycling also results in up to 80 per cent loss of resources which could've gone back to the economy as raw materials if processed through proper channels of recycling. In 2020, India generated 3.2 million tonnes of e-waste.

On an average, e-waste can be valued at approximately Rs. 50 per kg which implies that the e-waste industry in India is worth Rs 16 billion.