People changing mobile phone handsets every few months these days is creating a big problem for the environment ministry. The country is facing the issue of e-waste, with 30 crore mobile handsets getting dumped every year.
People changing mobile phone handsets every few months these days is creating a big problem for the environment ministry. The country is facing the issue of e-waste, with 30 crore mobile handsets getting dumped every year.
Union Minister for Environment and Forests Prakash Javadekar revealed the staggering figure during a press conference in Mumbai on Wednesday. He informed that his ministry was contemplating bringing in a new set of rules to combat this menace and has already come out with guidelines for the buy-back of such handsets.
Javadekar said solid waste management is anyway becoming a big issue and 15,000 tonnes of garbage was generated every day in the country, out of which only 9,000 tonnes was collected. He added that every year the country generates plastic waste of 20 million tonnes, which ragpickers take care of by collecting and segregating it at all levels.
The minister said he has visited all three garbage depots in Mumbai and the condition of all was deplorable. He said 50% of the sewage from western suburbs is going into the sea and his ministry is trying to provide land for a sewage treatment plant in the area.
Recognition for ragpickers
Prakash Javadekar said his ministry would give a special award from next year to ragpickers. He said those who pick up waste are facing a variety of health problems and, in addition to recognising their services by giving awards, his ministry would try to provide health services to them. The minister added that he would talk to other ministries so that skill development-related programmes can be run for children of ragpickers throughout the country. He said it would ensure a better future for the next generation of ragpickers.
Wasteful numbers
30 crore mobile handsets getting dumped every year
15,000 tonnes of garbage generated every day
20 million tonnes plastic waste generated every year
50% of the sewage from western suburbs going into the sea
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