Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 150
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 151
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Warning (512): Unable to emit headers. Headers sent in file=/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php line=853 [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 48]
Warning (2): Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php:853) [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 148]
Warning (2): Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php:853) [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 181]
LATEST NEWS UPDATES | 76 percent of e-waste workers in India suffer from respiratory ailments -Varun Bidhuri

76 percent of e-waste workers in India suffer from respiratory ailments -Varun Bidhuri

Share this article Share this article
published Published on Jun 4, 2015   modified Modified on Jun 4, 2015
-Tehelka

The report also says that the reason behind these ailments is mostly centred around the conditions in which these workers do their jobs.

According to report published by ASSOCHAM, an alarming 76% of e-waste workers suffer from respiratory ailments like breathing problems, irritation, coughing, chocking and tremors. The report also says that the reason behind these ailments is mostly centred around the conditions in which these workers do their jobs.

All recyclers and dismantlers are suffering from breathing problems such as asthma and bronchitis and have a detrimental effect on the respiratory, urinary and digestive systems, besides crippling immunity and possibility of cancer, according to a study on ‘Electronic Waste Management in India,’ conducted by The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) on “Environment Day”.

As per the findings of the study, E-waste workers in India suffer from breathing problems such as asthma and bronchitis. Many workers are children, who are unaware of the hazards and by the time they reach 35 to 40 years of age, they’re incapable of working.

The main sources of electronic waste in India are the government, public and private (industrial) sectors, which account for almost 71 per cent of total waste generation. The contribution of individual households is relatively small, at about 16 per cent; the rest being contributed by manufacturers. For the recycling of e-waste, India heavily depends on the unorganized sector, as only a handful of organized e-waste recycling facilities are available. Over 95% of the e-waste is treated and processed in the majority of urban slums in the country, where untrained workers carry out the dangerous procedures without personal protective equipment, which is detrimental not only to their health, but, also to the environment.

D S Rawat, Secretary General ASSOCHAM said, “e-waste is directly linked to the economic growth of the country and overall consumer spending. India’s economic growth has lifted millions of people from lower-income group to middle and high-income groups, increasing their purchasing power. E-waste typically includes discarded computer monitors, motherboards, Cathode Ray Tubes (CRT), Printed Circuit Board (PCB), mobile phones and chargers, compact discs, headphones, white goods such as Liquid Crystal Displays (LCD)/ Plasma televisions, air conditioners, refrigerators and so on. With increasing use of these in our everyday life, e-waste is also piling up.”

Of the total e-waste generated in India, approximately 1.5 percent is recycled by formal recyclers or institutional processing and recycling. Another 8.0 percent of the e-waste generated is rendered useless and goes to landfills. The remaining 90.5 percent of the e-waste is being handled by the informal sector, adds the paper.

The biggest e-waste recycling market in India is Delhi and approximately 40 percent of the e-waste in India lands here. Bangalore and Chennai are the next big e-waste markets. Chennai is the fourth largest e-waste generating city and approximately 5.0 MT of e-waste is generated every day in the Chennai Metropolitan area.

Commenting on ASSOCHAM findings Dr. B K Rao, Chairman of ASSOCHAM Health Committee said, “Computers, televisions and mobile phones are most dangerous because they have high levels of lead, mercury and cadmium — and they have short life-spans, so are discarded more”.

E-waste, which includes discarded cell phones, computers, printers, and TVs, has been linked to risk factors for cardiovascular disease and possibly cancer. Researchers now say pollutants released from e-waste can have lasting, damaging effects on human health.


Tehelka, 3 June, 2015, http://www.tehelka.com/76-percent-of-e-waste-workers-in-india-suffer-from-respiratory-ailments/


Related Articles

 

Write Comments

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

Video Archives

Archives

share on Facebook
Twitter
RSS
Feedback
Read Later

Contact Form

Please enter security code
      Close