Dhaka: As in urban areas, the country’s growing non-organic wastes, especially e-wastes and plastic bags, are posing a serious threat to rural environment for lack of proper management of these wastes.

The use of electric and electronic goods like computer, laptop, television, mobile set, electric bulb and refrigerator is on the rise in rural areas day by day, resulting in huge e-wastes, which harm the rural environment, experts say.

According to them, organic waste that pollutes the urban environment and health does not harm the rural environment that much as it contributes to soil fertility in many cases instead.

“But, non-organic waste like electrical, electronic, chemical plastic and polythene, chemical effluents are causing a serious threat to rural environment,” said General Secretary of Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA) Dr MA Matin.

The government should take an environmental policy immediately for the entire country, including the rural areas, as many industries are growing up in small towns, he told UNB.

If the government does not take effective measures for the proper disposal of non-organic wastes immediately for villages, the environment there will also get affected as in urban areas, Dr Matin said.

According to the Department of Environment (DoE), the environment-friendly disposal system of electric and electronic goods is yet to be developed in the country to save the environment from the growing threat of e-waste.

Abandoned computers, television and mobile phone sets and different electric devices and products are being dumped haphazardly, which pose a serious threat to the environment and public health, a DoE director recognized.

Besides, black carbon emitted from brick kiln, overexploitation of natural resources and use of chemical fertilisers and pesticide in arable land are among the key reasons behind the environmental pollution in rural areas, the official said preferring not to be quoted.

The DoE drafted e-waste management rules 2011 in consultation with various ministries and agencies and an inter-ministerial meeting was held over the draft rules, but it saw the ray of light finally, he said.

The Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division informed the Environment and Forests Ministry that such rules can not be formulated since e-waste issue is not mentioned in the Bangladesh Environment Conservation Act 1995, the official added.

Subsequently, a committee, formed by the Environment Ministry, drafted a guideline of e-waste management for an interim period to dispose of wastes in an environment-friendly manner, he said.

Now, one or two companies collect old electrical and electronic goods from the market and export only electrical or electronic parts of goods to Singapore and Japan for recycling, the DoE director said.

Chairman of Paribesh Bachao Andolan (Poba) Abu Naser Khan said a separate law is needed to protect the country’s rural environment from the threat of non-organic wastes—e-waste, chemical and plastic effluents - not organic ones.

“Both organic and non-organic wastes contribute to environmental pollution in urban areas. But, organic wastes are not harmful to the environment in rural areas in many cases. So a separate law is needed for rural areas,” he said.