Panaji, Jun 1 (IANS): Goa does not have a facility to
recycle e-waste and haphazard disposal of e-waste could result in landfill site contamination, a top official of an IT manufacturers organisation said on Wedenesday.

At a workshop here on environmental hazards of of e-waste, New Delhi-based Manufacturers Association for Information Technology (MAIT) Executive Director Anwar Shirpurwala said that in absence of an e-waste processing facility, there was a need to encourage users to return their own computer systems, possibly on a buy-back basis.

"E-waste management in the state of Goa as well as in other states across India is a highly fragmented business. Furthermore, Goa does not have any recycling facility to deal with e-waste and most of times non-functional computer scrap parts or e-waste is disposed with municipal solid waste by scrap dealers which increases the risk of landfill site contamination," he told reporters.

"There is a need to introduce buy back system where customers would be imparted with knowledge on e-waste issue and encouraged to give back their obsolete PCs. This system would collect large amount of obsolete PCs and improve existing informal collection system," he added.

At the workshop, which was attended by representatives of the IT industry, the Goa State Pollution Control Board, and the state Information and Technology Department, among others, MAIT recommended that scrap dealers should be imparted with formal training about how to handle e-waste, improving the existing e-waste collection system, segregation of e-waste, etc.

Pre-monsoon showers lash Goa, swimmers warned against wading into sea http://103.1.115.138/index.php?param=news/C-1-906721Panaji, May 31 (IANS) With pre-monsoon showers lashing across Goa through the day, tourists on Wednesday have been cautioned against wading into the sea for a swim.

"We have put up red flags at all the beaches which means that the area is not meant for swimming. It's advisable to steer clear of the high tide line in such circumstances. Even wading into the sea can be risky. We are closely monitoring the weather conditions. We strongly advise visitors not to venture into the sea as the sea and weather conditions are very rough," P.N. Pandey general manager (Operations) at Drishti Lifesaving told reporters here.

Goa, one of the most popular beach tourism destinations in the country, attracts more than four million tourists every year. During the monsoons however, the state government shuts down the beaches for swimming and water-sports activity due to the rough and choppy seas caused by the strong monsoon rains and wind.

The Indian Metereological Centre on Wednesday has also cautioned against heavy showers in the state over the next 48 hours.