Reza Mahmud :
Huge waste of electric and electronic products have made our country’s environment unhealthy. Different types of metallic and chemical elements of those products are harmful for human health. But there are no rules to dump the waste where and how, sources said.
“The vast quantities of waste of mobile handsets and other technology products have risked health and environment. Every individual and the government should be aware of it,” Dr. Mukhlesuzzaman Hero, Deputy Director of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical Univerisity Hospital told The New Nation yesterday. Dr. Mukhlesuzzaman Hero said, a large number of technology waste, including batteries of mobile phone handsets are spreading carbon, radioactive materials and other harmful chemicals in the air and water frequently. It should be controlled just now to protect lively atmosphere for our future generation, he added.
Environmental activists said, there are 13 crore of cell phone users in Bangladesh. Every year lots of mobile phone handsets are imported from abroad. Besides that, desktops, laptops, tablet computers, monitors, keyboards, printers, photocopiers, television sets, digital cameras, DVD-VCD players, microwaves, ovens, refrigerators, different types of bulbs, various electric and electronic toys, and various types of household appliances are used in our country. Most of them are of lower standard and not survivable for long. The government formed Environment Department in 1977, adopted National Environment Policy in 1992, formed Environment Conservation Law in 1995 and prepared rules and regulations for conservation of environment in 1997.
There are explanations about industrial, medical and household related waste, but there is nothing about the electric and electronic products waste.
“The waste of 13 crore mobile phone sets and other products have already made our environment harmful. Our government has yet not made any law on this issue,” M.A Matin, General Secretary of Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon, told The New Nation yesterday.
He also said, “We had warned the government in 2003 to take appropriate measures to protect our environment from those waste. We had suggested to take sufficient waste management systems in this regards. But the government ignored that.” M.A Matin suggested that recycling will be the appropriate answers to the dangers. “When Dholaikhal business men can make old vehicles new, then some quarters should go ahead to find out a way to recycle those technological waste.”
The experts also said, the developed countries have taken appropriate steps to recycle those waste. Most of the developed countries are exporting their waste to the under-developed countries in Africa, Latin America and Asia. They are making long survivable products.
In these circumstances, the experts said, the government should take appropriate policies to avoid importing lower standard products, which become waste within short time. “The government should take proper steps to ensure recycling of technological products,” they said.
