Accord top priority to reprocess e-waste: K'taka Minister Khandre
Bengaluru, Sep 3: Karnataka Forest and Environment Minister B Eshwar Khandre said on Tuesday there is a dire need to adopt the practices of regeneration of solid waste, which is posing a grave threat to nature.
Speaking at the 5th Re-Commerce Expo, being held here till September 5, he said the need of the hour is to give top priority to regenerate and reprocess e-waste, batteries, and other electronic goods.
"This will not only be economically viable but also environmentally friendly," Khandre added.
According to the Minister, the collapse of hills and earth sinking at Shirur in the state and Wayanad in Kerala were a warning for us.
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"We need to be vigilant and make plans to avoid such tragedies. Pollution is rampant in the atmosphere as well as in water due to increase in electronic goods, batteries as well as industrial pollution. It is our duty to protect mankind from these vagaries of nature that are posing a grave threat to the world," Khandre added.
He emphasised the need to blend the development and production process without damaging ecology and environment.
"There are huge opportunities for the younger generation to work on this subject," he added.
Venkatreddy D Patil, CEO of Urdhva Management, organisers of Re-Expo, said: "Our main aim is to strengthen processing for which the number of partners should increase. We need to re-process mobile, batteries and laptops and put it to use without harming the ecology and environment."
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Air pollution: Health Ministry asks public to minimise exposure to bad air, use public transport
New Delhi (PTI): As air pollution levels spike in many cities, the government has urged all states to enhance their preparedness and strengthen the capacity of healthcare workforce to tackle the menace which is likely to worsen in the festival season and onset of winter.
The Union Health Ministry has also urged the public to use public transport and avoid heavily congested areas.
In a letter to states and UTs, Director General of Health Services (DGHS) Dr Atul Goel has advised them to discourage stubble and waste burning and spread awareness among people about reducing firecrackers during festivities, promoting public transportation, limiting reliance on diesel-based generators, and curbing smoking.
"Additionally, individuals should be advised to minimise their exposure to polluted air by monitoring air quality indices through government mobile applications before venturing outdoors, avoiding heavily congested areas, and opting for cleaner fuels at home for cooking, heating, and lighting," Dr Goel said in the letter written last week.
He said air pollution has recently become a serious health challenge, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) in certain states/UTs reaching moderate to poor levels.
This may even worsen considering the upcoming festive season and onset of winter, he said.
Air pollution is a significant contributor to acute health conditions and exacerbates the progression of chronic diseases affecting the respiratory, cardiovascular, and cerebrovascular systems. These chronic illnesses, attributed to prolonged exposure to air pollution, often lead to an increase in premature mortality.
The adverse effects are particularly severe for vulnerable groups such as children, pregnant women, the elderly, individuals with pre-existing health conditions, and those who face higher exposure risks due to their occupations, such as traffic police officers and municipal workers, Dr Goel said.
"In light of this, I urge the state health departments and healthcare facilities to enhance their preparedness. This should include intensifying public awareness campaigns, disseminating targeted messaging through designated mass media channels in regional languages, strengthening the capacity of the healthcare workforce, and scaling up participation in sentinel surveillance systems for air pollution-related diseases under the National Program on Climate Change and Human Health," he said.
He also stressed on raising public awareness about actions to prevent further degradation of air quality at this critical time.
These include discouraging stubble and waste burning, reducing firecrackers during festivities, promoting public transportation over personal diesel- or petrol-powered vehicles, limiting reliance on diesel-based generators, and curbing smoking.
He said outdoor activities such as sports and exercise should be restricted, especially for vulnerable populations like the elderly, pregnant women, and those with pre-existing conditions such as respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.
Those experiencing worsening symptoms or discomfort due to poor air quality should seek immediate medical attention.
