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Disposing of E-waste in Goa

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Goa has received much well deserved criticism on account of the abounding garbage that spills over from every neighbourhood. There are remedies and schemes that have been thought out for the appropriate disposal of rubbish that comes under wet waste, that is biodegradable matter, and most dry waste that can be recycled or upcycled. There remains, however, the problem of waste that is delineated as toxic and detrimental to the environment. This includes biomedical waste and e-waste (electrical and electronic waste). In the case of e-waste, the Government of India has issued, through the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Government of India, the E-waste Management Rules, 2016, which became effective from the 1 st of October 2016. To understand the magnitude of the e-waste problem, we refer to the ASSOCHAM (Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India)-Frost and Sullivan study (2016) that estimates that India’s e-waste production will be 30 lakh metric tonnes
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Rescuing India from the Hazards of E-Waste

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An awareness programme (part of a series of programmes) on the hazards of electronic waste was held at EDC House, Panjim, by the NGO Communicare Trust in collaboration with NASSCOM (National Association of Software and Services Companies) Foundation, CEAMA (Consumer Electronics and Appliances Manufacturers Association) and MAIT (Manufactures Association of Information Technology). This was part of the Digital India Initiative that has begun pilot projects in Bhubaneshwar, Puducherry, Guwahati, Imphal, Indore, Kolkata, Moradabad, Ranchi, Patna and Panjim, to combat the issue of growing electronic waste in India. The e-waste project will be gradually extended to other parts of India to cover all major areas. The objective is to reach out to schools, colleges, producers, consumers, bulk consumers, scrap dealers (kabadiwalas), dealers, etc, using the cooperation of local NGOs to educate them about the rules with regard to e-waste (2016), the problems related to it, and the proper manner of
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Conscious Consumerism: Learning to rein in the garbage problem

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Speaking at the event Shape Connect Goa (held at the Kokum Design Centre, Porvorim) on how we need to be conscious consumers to deal with the escalating garbage problem, Clinton Vaz, proprietor of Vrecycle in South Goa, says, ‘The average Indian produces 200 grams of waste per day… that is in rural India. We do not live in rural India. The average Goan would generate about 800 grams. The average Western person in America or Europe will produce 3 kilos to a kilo and a half depending on where he lives and what he produces.’ Most of the waste that is generated is the result of our conscious choices. Although the Western garbage scene may seem far more daunting to take on, we Indians are catching up quickly to the same amount of waste creation. A glance within a shop reveals myriad products with fancy packaging and we, the consumers, have been psychologically conditioned to believe that it is safer and more hygienic to buy these attractively packaged products. Clinton says definitively,
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The Composting Solution to the Waste Problem

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Monika Gulati is a communication designer, educator and founder member of SkyBLUE Design, who in the last few years has been actively involved in solving waste management issues and spreading awareness wherever she can. It all began with a small composter that her youngest son won in a competition five years ago. At first there was uncertainty as to what should be done with it but after a few months Monika says, ‘We started using it and miraculously all our kitchen waste and other green waste was turning into this beautiful compost.’ This led to segregation of waste and soon the amount of waste going out of the house was reduced to a maximum of 200 grams of waste in 3 or 4 days. ‘There is very little waste that goes out of our home that cannot be processed, recycled or reused,’ says Monika. To most of us, the ultimate fate of the waste that leaves our homes matters little. We are content with the idea that the waste has left our homes. The repercussions of our actions and ignorance a
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Stewards of Our Planet

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Colin Braganza is a medical student at Goa Medical College who is soft-spoken and has a special connection with nature, as is revealed through his photographs. His interest in butterflies, which he used to shoot with a 2 zoom mobile phone camera (to help identify them), soon led to photographs of landscapes, birds and generally anything worth photographing. He uses a Nikon p530 camera now to capture any scene that piques his artistic sensibilities. Nature is at its most fragile with the world’s climate spiralling out of control, besides direct onslaughts in the name of progress. How soon will it be before all that is left is just photographs? Our own existence depends on how we react to the disturbing changes that are taking place. We still have the power to do what is best for the environment and reverse to a large extent the pathway to human extinction. “A human being is a part of the whole called by us universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thought
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Goa’s Beloved Coconut Tree

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The ongoing controversy about the coconut tree not being a tree but a palm brings to mind Damodar Mauzo’s short story These are My Children , where the main protagonist Rosalina names her coconut trees after her three children who have left home to start a life of their own. The trees are surrogates for her children and she treasures them to the point of crossing swords with the authorities. Her last words in the short story are, ‘No! I won’t let you cut my trees. Cut me first, then cut my children!’ The underlying theme is the importance of the coconut tree is equivalent to that of one’s own children. The scientific fraternity has categorised the palm ( Arecaceae family) in terms of trees, shrubs, and woody vines. Palm trees, in fact, are noted in the regions where they thrive for their productive role in human life. The coconut palm has been labelled as a tree because of its growth habitat. The United States Department of Agriculture definition of a tree says: ‘Perennial, woody pl
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The Coal Effect: Finding a Positive Alternative

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While the Earth is struggling under the threat of the complete devastation of its environment, humans continue to plough through nature’s goodness, abusing and taunting her with our lucre-laden plans. Now in the line of attack is Goa; the land of sunshine, beaches and the bountiful coconut tree. The Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) is slowly expanding its reaches to accommodate the temporary housing and transportation of coal from mines in Australia to steel and power plants in Karnataka. In 2012, the Goa State Pollution Control Board ordered the MPT to shut down coal handling operations at berths 10 and 11 because the people of Vasco were suffering the effects of pollution due to coal. Although there was compliance in this regard and limited coal handling at berths 5-A and 6-A, which were leased to Jindal South West Port LTD (JSW), the relief was short-lived. Coal pollution continued to increase because of the increase in coal and coke imports into the port and the low standards of handling
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