E-Waste in Chennai: Time is running out

Title: E-waste in Chennai Time is running out
Publication Type: Research Reports
Year of Publication: 2004
Abstract: Toxic e-waste patterns in Chennai underline the fact that the IT industry and the government need to take immediate steps to curb this menace before it overwhelms the city. Electronic waste, or e-waste as it is popularly called, is a collective terminology for the entire stream of electronic wastes such as used TVs, refrigerators, computers, mobile phones, etc. Computer waste is the most significant of all e-waste due to the gigantic amounts as well as the rate at which it is generated. E-waste is of particular concern to India. According to a report on the Indian IT Sector by Radha Gopalan, the rate of obsolescence of computers in India is 2% per week, that is, in 50 weeks time the value of the computer is effectively zero. To take stock of the scenario of e-waste, especially computer waste, Toxics Link conducted a pioneering study in and around Delhi. Fearing that the findings could just be a tip of an iceberg, Toxics Link has decided to conduct a similar study in South India.