These are among several alarming facts that have come up in a national survey across Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata and Chennai conducted by environment research organization Toxics Link.

The study, titled `What In dia Knows About E-waste', was conducted earlier this year among 2,030 respondents and released last Wednesday.According to it, every second person interviewed said they did not know what e-waste was. "Though e-waste is one of the most talked about waste issues globally, the study to assess awareness levels of e-waste among citizens reveals that a majority of Indians are unaware of this toxic waste stream," said Toxics Link project manager Monalisa Dutta. She added that Kolkata fares poorly in having proper awareness in matters of e-waste.

The study mentions the overall lack of awareness as a key reason behind poor e-waste management in the country.According to the report, even after four years of e-waste rules in force, 66% of people are ignorant. The rules, which mandate that e-waste should be disposed of only to authorized agencies, have not reached most people, especially in Kolkata, Delhi and Chennai, where 93%, 90% and 74% respondents respectively did not know anything about the legal framework and its provisions.The study further reveals that as many as 61% of the respondents are ignorant about the impacts of improper disposal of electrical and electronic equipment. The study found that more than 50% people sell their e-waste to local trash collectors, a practice that leads to informal recycling, which causes harm to humans and environment. Although producers have, under e-waste rules, been assigned the responsibility of educating consumers about disposal, the findings indicate that they have not carried out their duties. Product booklets or information from brands was not a big source of information for most aware consumers. This is an indication that the producers have not fulfilled their responsibilities.

The study also focused on awareness levels in different income groups -low, middle and high. It was found that the awareness regarding toxicity was lower in the low income group than the other two groups. This gives an indication of the need to educate more people about e-waste. Newspaper reports and information on the internet fare better in educating the public about e-waste with 50% saying these were their source of information about the toxic waste stream.

In an earlier survey made by Toxics Link, 17 densely populated residential areas in Kolkata had been identified as hotspots of hazardous industrial pollution, stretching from Cossipore and Raja Bazar in the north to Kidderpore and Taratala in the west, and from Bow Bazar and Mullick Bazar in central Kolkata to Topsia and Dhapa in the east. Besides, Topsia and Tangra were identified as the most polluting areas of the city.

"If this is the awareness level in the top five cities, imagine the situation in smaller towns," said Priti Mahesh, chief programme coordinator, Clean Industry, Toxics Link.

"There is an urgent need to create awareness among consumers. The producers, government, and agencies responsible will have to make efforts to educate consumers and ensure improved compliance to rules on e-waste," said Satish Sinha, associate director, Toxics Link.