By Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 04.12.10 In Mundaka, an area west of Delhi, India, the largest plastics scrap market in Asia was set on fire. The entire area, about 4 kilometers, burned and goods worth Rs 50 crore were lost to the flames. The fire appears to have been set deliberately, potentially a response to the debates occurring between scrap dealers and villagers who wanted the market moved to another location. However, there is going to be days worth of chemical-laden smoke and many health consequences to deal with before the bickering can commence again. In Mundaka, an area west of Delhi, India, the largest plastics scrap market in Asia was set on fire. The entire area, about 4 kilometers, burned and goods worth Rs 50 crore were lost to the flames. The fire appears to have been set deliberately, potentially a response to the debates occurring between scrap dealers and villagers who wanted the market moved to another location. However, there is going to be days worth of chemical-laden smoke and many health consequences to deal with before the bickering can commence again. According to Times of India, “Police said the fire was possibly started by a group of people who reportedly entered the area around 2.20am, beat up two security guards and fled on motorcycles.” The biggest issue facing residents now is not whether the plastics scrap market will stay, but the quality of the air. The paper reports that it wasn’t just plastics that burned, but also several tons of hazardous e-waste, from televisions to photocopying machines. Burning e-waste means releasing toxic chemicals into the air, causing respiratory problems and skin diseases. This is one of the reasons why unregulated e-waste dumps are such a concern. Now, residents living close to the scrap yard could be exposed to these chemicals and their related health problems, including bronchitis and asthma, heart and liver damage, and eye damage. …
Asia’s Biggest Plastics Scrap Market Set on Fire, Entire Facility Burned
