letter to editor on e waste
Answers
The Editor, 23/12/2016
The Times of India,
Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg,
New Delhi.
Dear Sir,
Blanket ban on import and use of e-waste
At the outset, I wish you and your readers Season's Greetings and a very happy New Year.
Today, India is the fifth largest producer of electronic waste, producing around 18.5 lakh tonnes of it annually. This figure is mounting by the day, with the spread and use of mobile phones, which alone accounts for 12 of the 25% of the world's generation of e-waste that India produces.
Isn't it time to ban the import and use of all forms of e-waste? There are three primary reasons why we should forthwith do this. First, so little is known to the policymakers about the end-use. Second, electronics industry is not as old as the other manufacturing industries; hence, little is known about all the hazards it causes, which would multiply with extra rejected material brought into the country. Third, regulatory mechanisms and standardisation procedures for applications of e-waste have yet to be comprehensively documented.
In view of the above, I appeal through you for the complete ban of both the import and use of e-waste into the country with immediate effect.
Thanking you,
Yours faithfully
Amit Kumar Pandey
Dak Bungalow Road,
Patna -800001,
Bihar.