Growing electronic waste problem remains ignored

Electronic goods contain lethal elements like lead, arsenic, chromium, mercury and nickel

KATHMANDU, Sept 22: It is has been estimated that Kathmandu produces at least 2.5 metric tons of electronic waste annually. Only valuable metals coated with gold and silver are exported to India, while tons of remaining hazardous wastes stay in Nepal.

For years now, Nepal has been piling up these perilous eyesore materials. There is neither any government supervision on the import of electronic goods nor is there any policy that restricts or manages the electronic wastes that get disposed of.

"The world is a small village now. At least one in a family goes abroad once in a while. They hardly miss to bring mobile phones as the demand and craze for new sets have skyrocketed in Nepal. But they hardly realize that they are importing fatal electronics that can even cause cancer in the long run," said Dependra Oli, legal officer at Solid Waste Management and Technical Support Center (SWMTSC).

Wastes that get accumulated from dismantled electronic equipment like mobile phones, television and radio sets, refrigerators and many other household goods all are categorized under electronic wastes.

It's not the plastic covers but the metal parts of those electronics that contain lethal elements like lead, arsenic, chromium, mercury and nickel. Doctors claim that these elements when exposed to humans can affect the development of human brain and even cause cancer.

"One gram of mercury when mixed with water has the potential to damage the fertility of an acre of land. So one can imagine how dangerous these chemicals are for both living and non-living beings," said Dr Alka Sapkota, environment expert at SWMTSC.

The Solid Waste Management Act 2011 is the only existing government policy that addresses and manages the issues of solid wastes in Nepal. But the act hardly has any provisions for the management of hazardous electronic wastes.

According to Bishnu Thakali, chairperson of WEPCO (Women Environment Preservation Committee), the issue of electronic waste management in Kathmandu is turning serious as no one is concerned about its future impacts.

"Our research has shown that electronic wastes weighing over two metric tons get accumulated here in Kathmandu every year. And the wastes get mixed with other garbage and finally get disposed of at Sisdol landfill site in Okharpauwa. If these hazardous wastes are not controlled, our future generation will have to face harsh consequences," said Thakali.

Meanwhile, Thakali further shared that they are in the process of preparing a draft for electronic waste management policy and hand it over to the government.

Mahendra Man Gurung, joint secretary at the Ministry of Science, Environment and Technology (MoSTE), assured to take the issue seriously .