KSPCB to entrust e-waste Data collection to NGOs

KOZHIKODE:  The Kerala State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) will hand over the data collection process of Electronic Waste(E-Waste) to non-governmental organisations in the coming month as the board does not have enough manpower to handle the process.    This decision is being taken in view of the e-waste rule coming into effect from May 2012.The lack of enough staff is hindering the smooth functioning of the board. There are not enough officials and expertise in the board to handle the new projects and developments. “In the next two to three weeks, the board will decide to hand over the process of collecting data and preparing an inventory of the amount of e-waste generated in the state to various small-scale NGOs,” said K Sajeevan, chairman of the KSPCB. Sources at the board confirm that it is the lack of staff that has forced the organisation to take such a step. Meanwhile, the All Kerala IT Dealers Association (AKITDA), which is a staunch advocate for an efficient e-waste management plan, alleges that the KSPCB officials need to work out a hard-and-fast plan for the management of e-waste in the state. “We have repeatedly asked the KSPCB officials to take part in the awareness programmes on e-waste management.“ But in fact the KSPCB officials are unaware of the hazards of electronic waste and are clueless about how to proceed with the plans,” said John Kottara, the state PRO of the AKITDA. But the KSPCB authorities are claiming that mass outreach programmes and awareness programmes are being conducted by the board.A study by IIT Delhi assumed that every person in the state produces 5kg of e-waste per year, which would make a total of 1,50,000 tonne in a year. There are no registered recyclers in Kerala for this huge amount of waste. The sole facility registered with the KSPCB is Earth Sense company, which acts as a storage facility for the e-waste. “At present, the scrap dealers and hawkers are the ones who collect the electronic waste. They crush the parts and melt it for retaining the useable parts. “This process is hazardous and should only be done in a scientific manner by the collectors,” says John Kottara.