Guwahati’s e-waste and flash flood dilemma: A call for sustainable solutions

Dipak Kurmi

(The writer can be reached at dipakkurmiglpltd@gmail.com.)

Guwahati, the capital city of Assam and the gateway to the North East of India, stands at a critical juncture of progress and challenge. As the city continues to grow and modernise, it is grappling with two significant issues that threaten both its environment and sustainability: the hazardous disposal of e-waste and the recurring problem of flash floods. These challenges are emblematic of the broader struggles faced by rapidly urbanising regions in India, where the pressures of development often outpace the capacity for sustainable planning and management.

The e-waste crisis: The sight of waste pickers scouring the streets of Guwahati, purchasing discarded electronics such as computers, cellphones, refrigerators, and washing machines, has become a common yet troubling phenomenon. These waste pickers, who sell the collected e-waste to scrap dealers, represent the unregulated and hazardous handling of electrical and electronic waste in the city. The lack of awareness among city residents about the safe disposal of e- waste exacerbates the problem, leading to environmental degradation and potential health hazards.

The exponential rise in the sales of electronic and electrical products has naturally led to an alarming increase in the number of discarded items in households across the city. The spread of digital technology, the establishment of e-offices, and the introduction of smart classrooms in educational institutions have further fuelled the generation of e-waste. While channelling e-waste disposal from bulk and institutional consumers is relatively easier, managing e-waste from individual households presents a significant challenge.

To effectively manage this e-waste, the city requires authorised e-waste collectors, dismantlers, and recyclers with adequate capacity to handle the thousands of discarded electronic products generated daily. Unfortunately, Guwahati currently lacks a comprehensive e-waste management facility. This deficiency explains why the public notice issued by the Pollution Control Board, Assam (PCBA), which urged both bulk and domestic consumers not to sell their e-waste to unauthorized waste pickers, has largely remained unenforced for the past seven years.

The PCBA notice emphasises that all e-waste generated at the end of a product’s life should be sold only to authorised e-waste collection centres, recyclers, dismantlers, and refurbishers. However, the state currently has only one e-waste dismantling and refurbishing facility, with another in the process of being established. The PCBA has directed the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) to channelise any e-waste mixed with municipal waste to registered facilities after proper segregation. The GMC is also required to conduct joint monitoring of scrap yards and other unorganised waste collection facilities periodically with PCBA officials to curb informal trading and dismantling of e-waste.

While these directives are well intentioned, they can only be effective if the city has multiple e-waste collection centres and an agency to collect e-waste door-to-door. The GMC’s deployment of garbage-carrying vans with segregated compartments for different types of waste, including a separate compartment for e-waste, similar to the garbage vans in Indore, could be a practical approach. Although the GMC has introduced colour-coded vans for dry and wet waste, the majority of residents have yet to adopt the practice of segregating waste at the household level.

If residents are not made aware of the importance of waste segregation, the mere provision of a separate compartment for e-waste in these vans will have little impact. The GMC’s initiative last year, in collaboration with an NGO, to conduct an e-waste detox drive focused on schools, colleges, apartments, and housing societies was a commendable effort. This drive successfully collected three tonnes of e-waste in just four weeks. However, such initiatives need to be sustained and expanded to build long-term awareness among residents about the dangers of selling discarded electronics to waste pickers and the importance of proper e-waste disposal.

The establishment of a comprehensive mechanism for the collection of e-waste by the GMC, including the placement of drop boxes at prominent locations in each ward, could facilitate the proper disposal of e-waste until a door-to-door collection system is fully operational. Such measures would not only curb the unauthorized dismantling of e-waste by scrap dealers, which poses severe environmental and public health risks, but also attract private investments for setting up authorized e-waste management facilities.

The new e-waste management rules notified on April 1, 2023, stipulate that only registered producers, recyclers, and refurbishers are allowed to collect and process e-waste. Producers are also given recycling targets based on the quantity of e-waste they generate. However, if the PCBA fails to enforce these regulations and the GMC does not establish an effective e-waste management system, the current public health hazard from unscientific e-waste dismantling could escalate into a public health emergency.

While the increasing sales of electronic and electrical products signify economic progress in Guwahati, the rising volume of e-waste serves as a stark reminder to the authorities that urgent action is needed to address this growing crisis.

Flash floods: A Recurring Nightmare Alongside the e-waste dilemma, Guwahati faces another formidable challenge: flash floods. The city, with its rapidly growing population and expanding infrastructure, is increasingly vulnerable to the impacts of extreme weather events. Flash floods, triggered by just a few hours of heavy downpour, have become a recurring event, causing widespread disruption and damage.

The discourse around flash floods in Guwahati has been dominated by problems rather than solutions, leaving the city stuck in a cycle of despair and inaction. What is needed is a comprehensive approach that includes short-term, medium-term, and long-term solutions to make the city resilient to such events.

Erratic and heavy rainfall within a short period has become a regular phenomenon, and city planning must account for these extreme weather events. The stormwater drainage system in Guwahati needs a complete overhaul to cope with the increasing volume of rainwater. However, for a busy city like Guwahati, undertaking a structural overhaul of the drainage network in one go is not feasible. The process needs to be phased and meticulously planned, with modern equipment used to expedite execution.

Residents of the city have bitter memories of unplanned construction work, such as the laying of water and gas pipelines, which caused immense hardship during daily commutes. These experiences highlight the importance of careful planning and execution of any future projects aimed at decongesting the city or addressing the flash flood problem. Unfortunately, many of these construction projects have been undertaken without adequate communication with residents, leaving them in the dark about when their streets and by-lanes will be repaired and restored.

The lack of consultation between city authorities and residents has created a gap that undermines trust and collaboration. This gap needs to be bridged through a consultation process that involves residents in the planning and execution of flood mitigation projects. By engaging with residents, the authorities can create an environment that motivates citizens to contribute to reducing the intensity of flash floods.

Rainwater harvesting is one such solution that has the potential to mitigate the impact of flash floods. Despite its potential, rainwater harvesting is often overlooked in public discourse, even though city residents can play a crucial role in its implementation. The rapid rise in population and commercial activities in Guwahati has led to the city’s growth both vertically and horizontally. The booming real estate industry has resulted in the conversion of residential plots into high-rise, multi-storeyed apartments. Building bylaws require the provision of rainwater harvesting systems to reduce the volume of water runoff to drains and streets. However, these bylaws are often ignored in practice.

In many parts of the city, the plinth area of individual houses and buildings is raised well above the road level, and the courtyard space is paved, preventing rainwater from being absorbed by the ground. Instead, rainwater runs off to the street, contributing to artificial flooding and waterlogging in low-lying areas. Additionally, many courtyards lack trees, which could help retain rainfall. Although building bylaws mandate tree plantations within the campus, this requirement is often flouted.

The failure to enforce these building norms is puzzling, considering the importance of rainwater harvesting and tree plantation in addressing the city’s flash flood problem. City residents have also largely ignored the potential of their courtyards as rainwater catchments. Even in areas where residents face water scarcity, many prefer to buy water from private tankers rather than install rainwater harvesting systems to meet non-drinking water needs, such as car washing, plant watering, and general cleaning.

The terraces of buildings in Guwahati catch significant quantities of rainwater that could be stored in tanks and used for various purposes. Doing so would reduce demand for groundwater supplied by private tankers and lower the volume of water runoff from individual properties to the streets and drains during the rainy season.

While rainwater harvesting alone may not provide complete relief from flash floods—given the volume of rainwater runoff from the surrounding hills—it can improve the drainage system’s capacity to handle rainwater and reduce water accumulation on the streets. In addition to rainwater harvesting, the stormwater drainage system needs to be upgraded with silt traps and other technological solutions to reduce runoff from the hills.

The public discourse on Guwahati’s flash floods must shift from merely discussing the problem to actively involving citizens in the solution. By participating in the solution-evolving process, residents can help develop new frameworks for urban flood management and disaster response.

Guwahati stands at a crossroads, facing the twin challenges of e-waste management and flash floods. Both issues highlight the need for sustainable urban planning and active citizen participation in addressing the city’s environmental and infrastructural challenges. The exponential rise in electronic waste, coupled with the recurring nightmare of flash floods, underscores the urgency for comprehensive solutions that involve all stakeholders.

The establishment of a robust e-waste management system, combined with the implementation of rainwater harvesting and the overhaul of the city’s drainage network, can pave the way for a more resilient and sustainable Guwahati. It is essential for the city authorities to enforce existing regulations, engage with residents, and invest in long-term infrastructure projects to address these challenges effectively.

As Guwahati continues to grow and evolve, the choices made today will determine the city’s future. By taking proactive measures to address the e-waste crisis and mitigate the impact of flash floods, Guwahati can ensure a sustainable and prosperous future for its residents.