E-WASTE MANAGEMENT: PROBLEMS AND SOLUTION

The industrial revolution followed by the advances in information technology has greatly changed people’s lifestyle. Although this development has helped the human race but has led to the generation of electronic waste or E- waste. According to the Greenpeace report in 2007 India generates about 3, 80,000 tonnes of E-waste out of which only 3% goes for authorized recycling. One of the reasons for this is that the India has also become a dumping ground for many developed nations. The Basel Action Network (BAN) stated in a report that 50-80% of e-waste collected by the USA is exported to India and number of other countries. In Delhi alone around 10,000 to 20,000 tonnes of E waste is handled every year by 25,000 workers including children that also with bare hands. The improper dismantling and processing of e-waste has a great impact on human health as well as our ecosystem which include contamination and pollution. The lack of awareness of the people and their negligence is increasing the problem. So, there is an urgent need to plan a preventive strategy (Electronic Waste Management) and educate people about the same because it is rightly said everything has a price except health.