E-waste: A bomb in Bangalores belly

As number of Information Technology (IT) companies is growing, a bomb in the belly of Bangalore is ticking.

By K G Vasuki

Bangalore, June 16 : As number of Information Technology (IT) companies is growing, a bomb in the belly of Bangalore is ticking.

Home to more than 2000 multinational and IT companies, Bangalore faces the danger list of cities with e-waste hazard, including discarded computers, central processing unit, peripherals, servers, printers, fax, copiers, motherboards, hard discs, compact disc, digital video disc, tapes, cartridges, telecom equipments and lithium batteries.

Fluorescent and Compact Fluorescent Lamp (CFL) lamps, and other electronic equipments are also part of the e-waste which is posing a threat to the city.Talking to ANI in an exclusive interview, Director of E-Parisara, P. Parthasarathy feels e-waste was posing a threat unless it was recycled properly. He also demands legislation on e-waste and its proper recycling.

E-Parisara, India's first e-waste recycling facility at the outskirts of Bangalore, which recycles around 350 tonnes of e-waste per annum, has all the potential to recycle these wastes.

According sources, around 8000 tonnes of e-waste is generated annually exposing Bangalore to e-waste hazards.

Talking to ANI Henning Schreiber, an e-waste expert feels if it is not recycled properly e-waste could pose a great danger to human life.

Domestic e-waste including computers, refrigerators, televisions and mobiles contain more than 1,000 different toxic materials.

Chemicals such as beryllium, found in computer motherboards, and cadmium in chip resistors and semiconductors are poisonous and can lead to cancer.

Chromium in floppy disks, lead in batteries and computer monitors and mercury in alkaline batteries and fluorescent lamps also pose severe health risks.

ANI