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By:

Abhijit Mulye

21 August 2024 at 4:59:11 pm

Speculations of ‘Operation Tiger’

Mumbai: Recent disqualification of former Mumbai Mayor Vishakha Raut and senior corporator Deepak Sawant has sent shockwaves through the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), sparking speculation of a targeted municipal sequel to the Shiv Sena split. With a surge of election petitions now threatening dozens of elected representatives, whispers of a new form of calculated “Operation Tiger” are growing louder. Many suspect this is a strategic move to dismantle the Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray...

Speculations of ‘Operation Tiger’

Mumbai: Recent disqualification of former Mumbai Mayor Vishakha Raut and senior corporator Deepak Sawant has sent shockwaves through the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), sparking speculation of a targeted municipal sequel to the Shiv Sena split. With a surge of election petitions now threatening dozens of elected representatives, whispers of a new form of calculated “Operation Tiger” are growing louder. Many suspect this is a strategic move to dismantle the Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) faction’s remaining stronghold in the civic body. Recent action against Raut and Sawant, whose Other Backward Classes (OBC) caste certificates were invalidated, reveals a broader vulnerability. According to BMC data, a staggering 79 election petitions are currently active against corporators across various parties. The charges primarily challenge the authenticity of caste verification certificates, but also include discrepancies in election affidavits concerning declared properties and income. While the sheer volume of petitions against the UBT camp is alarming, civic authorities note that filing a petition does not automatically result in disqualification. The process requires exhausting several legal and administrative steps. Even after a ruling by a caste scrutiny committee or judicial authority, the urban development department must formally issue a gazette notification before a seat is declared vacant. The timing of these petitions has fueled intense speculation. Against the backdrop of the ongoing Supreme Court hearings regarding the original Shiv Sena’s party name and election symbol, analysts suggest rival factions are leveraging these petitions. This municipal “Operation Tiger” appears designed to either legally disqualify embattled UBT members or pressure them into defection to avoid a public unseating. If these petitions lead to widespread disqualifications, the UBT faction risks losing its position as the largest opposition bloc, fundamentally altering the balance of power in Asia’s richest civic body. Election petitions against BMC corporators Political Party: Active Petitions Shiv Sena (UBT): 24 Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP): 18 Congress: 10 Shiv Sena (Shinde): 7 AIMIM: 7

Hidden Cost of Digital Lives

The discarded device may no longer be useful to its owner, but many of the materials inside it still have value.

The scale of the e-waste problem is enormous. A United Nations study estimated that 62 million tonnes of e-waste were generated worldwide during 2024-25. Yet only a fraction was disposed of or recycled through proper systems.


An electronic device may look like a single object, but it is actually a complex combination of many components and materials. Each of these components has a specific function, and together they allow the device to perform the tasks we have come to take for granted.


A computer, for example, contains a motherboard, processor, RAM, hard disc, power supply, integrated circuits, capacitors, diodes and numerous other components. A mobile phone contains batteries, speakers, microphones, antennas, connectors, circuit boards, SIM slots, cables and many tiny electronic components. Televisions contain capacitors, resistors, transformers, integrated circuits, tuners, diodes and other components. When these gadgets become waste, all these materials become part of the e-waste stream.


Broadly, e-waste contains iron and steel, non-ferrous metals such as copper and aluminium, glass, plastics, electronic components and materials such as rubber, ceramics and wood. This composition makes e-waste both a problem and an opportunity. The discarded device may no longer be useful to its owner, but many of the materials inside it still have value.


Valuable materials are present in discarded electronics and can potentially be recovered and reused. Recycling them reduces the need to extract fresh raw materials and saves energy and resources. But improper disposal creates serious environmental concerns. Electronic products can contain substances that may contaminate soil, water and air when they are dumped, burned or dismantled improperly. Informal handling can also expose workers and communities to hazardous substances.


Throwaway Culture

Technology itself is not the enemy. The problem lies in a system where gadgets are produced, consumed and discarded at an increasingly rapid pace. As newer models appear and older devices are replaced, the volume of discarded electronics continues to grow.


Perhaps the most important question we need to ask is not “What is the latest model?” but “Do I really need to replace the device I already have?”


We can reduce e-waste by using electronic devices for longer, repairing them whenever possible, donating functioning devices, returning old products through authorised collection systems and ensuring that discarded electronics reach responsible recyclers. These are simple choices, but collectively they can reduce the amount of electronics entering the waste stream.


Every mobile phone or computer that we dispose of is more than a piece of unwanted equipment. It contains valuable resources that should not be wasted—and materials that should not be allowed to pollute our environment.


Why It’s Dangerous

Unlike ordinary household waste, e-waste can contain a mixture of hazardous substances. Electronic gadgets contain numerous components made with or containing metals and chemicals such as lead, cadmium, mercury, chromium, beryllium, antimony, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), brominated flame retardants and phthalates.


These substances do not simply disappear when a computer or mobile phone is thrown away. They remain within the discarded equipment and can become a concern when that equipment is dumped, burned or dismantled improperly. Long-term exposure to some of them can affect the nervous system, kidneys, bones, reproductive system and endocrine system. Certain substances are also known to have carcinogenic or neurotoxic properties.


The danger becomes particularly serious when e-waste is handled through crude and unauthorised recycling practices. In such operations, wires may be burnt to recover copper, circuit boards may be heated or dismantled, and components may be broken apart without adequate protection. Such practices can release hazardous substances and expose workers and nearby communities.


More on this next week. Till then, have a great weekend!


(The writer is an environmentalist. Views personal.)

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