Hazard from waste

It is time India properly handles a major problem

The recent high-profile cobalt radiation exposure case in Delhi is a warning signal for bigger disasters waiting to happen. While the reported incident is not commonplace, India is home to a large and rapidly growing inventory of hazardous waste. Much of this is handled by the poor in an extremely crude manner without observing any safety norms. Part of this hazardous waste is even dumped in landfill sites where many of their toxic substances, such as lead, mercury, chromium and even cyanide, tend to leach down to contaminate groundwater. Nearly five million people, mostly poor and destitute, are reckoned to be directly engaged in the highly risk-prone waste-handling and processing activity, also exposing, in the process, several millions more to health hazards due to emission of harmful gases and radiation, environmental degradation and water contamination, among hosts of other perils. There are far too few legalised and registered hazardous waste recycling units. In fact, the abundance of informal and low-cost waste recycling units is discouraging investment in safer and scientific waste processing and recycling industry. Apart from the domestic hazardous wastes, estimated at around 5.9 million tonnes in 2009, wastes generated in other countries, especially the US and Europe, also land in India in the guise of scrap and reusable material. This is because these countries find it cheaper to ship perilous wastes to India than getting it processed or recycled locally. Much of this imported waste consists of life-expired electronic items, or e-waste, which was unheard of till a few decades ago, and which contains some of the most dangerous toxic materials like mercury, cadmium, lead, heavy metals and radioactive substances.

While all this is now known, not much has been done to deal with the problem. Accidents like the one in Delhi raise alarm and public concern but are soon forgotten as everyone returns to business as usual. The import of hazardous wastes, for instance, is estimated to have grown by 48 per cent in last three years. The domestic e-waste generation, reckoned at around 3.8 lakh tonnes in 2008, is projected to swell to 1.6 million tonnes in next three years. So is the case with other dangerous wastes. While little can perhaps be done in limiting waste generation, considering the pace of economic development, arrangements can surely be put in place for safe handling and disposal of these wastes as also for checking the import of unsafe discarded products. India needs waste scanners at ports handling hazardous wastes and the job cannot be handled by ordinary customs officials. Last week, the government announced a new set of rules for the management of e-wastes, making manufacturers responsible for taking back the discarded products for their safe recycling and disposal. Similar policies are needed for other kinds of risky wastes. At present, the responsibility and accountability for the enforcement of such rules and norms are not clearly specified. While the Centre leaves enforcement to states, maintaining that the waste handling sector is too unorganised for it to regulate, states, on the other hand, blame lack of capacity and capability for their inaction. Clearly, hazardous waste handling requires more focused policy attention.