The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority, which is working towards setting up a dedicated electronic waste processing unit in the metropolitan region, is now planning to include Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation in the project.

According to MR Shah, principal advisor, solid waste management cell of the MMRDA, the MIDC, if they accept the proposal, could become a facilitator in the project. “We’ve sent a proposal and are awaiting response by next week. If they agree, MIDC will implement the project for a period of 25 years while MMRDA will continue to be the nodal agency,” Shah told Newsline.

MIDC will also identify a 4-acre plot in MMR where the processing unit will be set up. “They still have to identify the land in MMR. If MIDC cannot then MMRDA is ready to fund the plot,” Shah added.

The proposed plant would have a comprehensive process to collect, transport and recover precious metal from the e-waste and safe treatment to ensure there is no environmental degradation. An alarming projection of e-waste generation in the MMR in a study by the MPCB estimates the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) would be over 50,000 tonne by 2015 from 20,000 tonne in 2007.

Earlier, MMRDA had initiated a feasibility study by International Resources Group (IRG) System South Asia Pvt Ltd for e-waste processing plant in MMR that yielded encouraging report stating that e-waste processing unit will be highly feasible in MMR.

Meanwhile, the MMRDA is also exploring the possibility of running the e-waste processing unit on public-private partnership model. The unit will be first of its kind in the country and the second in South East Asia, to where India now supplies its e-waste for recovery of precious metals. “PPP-model is an option that we’re exploring as the initial investment to set up the unit,” said Shah.

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