The city generates around 10,000 metric tons of garbage everyday but it’s not segregated, many time people dumps their electronic garbage in dustbin along with other garbage. The BMC also doesn’t collect garbage e-waste separately. The BMC has no plan for e-waste and put all the responsibility on Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), to collect e-waste through contractor for processing. The BMC in process to take an assistance of a private agency for the work.
The group of second year B.A students surveyed 1000 people in last two months to understand their knowledge about differences between regular waste and e-waste.
The survey report said that mostly people dumps electronic products in garbage bin instead of dumping it separately as it has to be treated separately and cannot be merged in the same garbage processing units.
The report indicated that 94% respondents feel that more effort should be taken to promote awareness of e-waste; 90% are not aware of agencies that process e-waste. 62% participants were aware the difference with the help of its terminology. Only 21% try to reuse or recycle electronic garbage that indicate that 79% goes in as unprocessed waste. 82% participants agreed that it poses threat to environment and 79% felt that its threat to human health.
Among the participants, 90% were not aware of agencies that process e-waste and demands that more collection centers should be created and it should be properly advertised. Most of the participants don’t known if government has any role to monitor e-waste processing.
Jadhav had moved a notice of motion in the BMC in May to have a policy for e-waste processing but the BMC is yet to take any decision over the issue.