Lok Sabha Question No. 1376 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-12-22
Subject: Disposal of e-Waste
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: SHIVAJI ADHALRAO PATIL, ANANDRAO  ADSUL, NINONG ERING, SHOBHA KARANDLAJE, Shrirang Appa Barne, PRATHAP SIMHA, SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE, DUSHYANT CHAUTALA, CHANDRA PRAKASH JOSHI

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 1376

TO BE ANSWERED ON 22.12.2017

## Disposal of e-Waste

## 1376. SHRI ADHALRAO PATIL SHIVAJIRAO:

SHRI ANANDRAO ADSUL:

SHRI NINONG ERING:

KUMARI SHOBHA KARANDLAJE:

SHRI SHRIRANG APPA BARNE:

SHRI PRATHAP SIMHA:

DR. SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE:

SHRI DUSHYANT CHAUTALA:

SHRI CHANDRA PRAKASH JOSHI:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the country's economic growth, rise in per capita income, and technological innovations coupled with high obsolescence rate of electronic and electrical equipments including computers has resulted in increase in the rate of generation of ewaste;
- (b) if so, the details thereof along with the quantum of e-wastes generated during the last three years, State/UT-wise;
- (c) whether  the  Government  has  any  plan  for  safe  disposal  of  e-wastes  and  if  so,  the details  thereof  along  with  the  details  of  installed  recycling/dismantling  facilities operating in the country, Statewise;
- (d) whether  the  Government  has  comprehensively  revised  and  notified  a  new  e-Waste (Management) Rules in March, 2016 in order to ensure safe disposal of e-waste, if so, the details thereof along with the proposal, if any, to include e-waste disposal as part of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan;
- (e) whether the Government penalizes the States/UTs to compensate against generating more  e-waste,  if  so,  the  details  thereof  along  with  the  other  steps  taken  by  the Government  for  reduction  in  e-waste  generation  and  strict  compliance  of  e-waste (Management) Rules in various States/ UTs; and
- (f) the  steps  taken  for  e-waste  dismantling  and  recycling  facilities  and  to  undertake industrial skill development and measures for safety and health of workers engaged in such activities?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (DR. MAHESH SHARMA)

- (a) and (b) The country's economic growth with rise in per capita income and technological innovations coupled with high obsolescence rate of electronic and electrical equipment are

leading to increase in the rate of generation of e-waste. No comprehensive inventorization of e-waste generation in the country has been done. However, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in 2005 estimated 1.47 lakh ton of e-waste in the country, and simultaneously had projected  8.0  lakh  ton  of  e-waste  generation  in  the  year  2010.  As  per  the  United  Nations University  report,  'The  Global  E-Waste  Monitor  2014',  17  lakh  ton  of  e-waste  were generated in the country in 2014.

(c) There are 178 dismantling/recycling units with a capacity of 441085.6 metric tonnes per annum. The State-wise details of installed recycling/dismantling facilities operating in the country is given at annexure-1.

(d) The Government has comprehensively revised e-waste (Management & handling) Rules, 2011,  and  notified  E-Waste  (Management)  Rules  in  March,  2016.  These  Rules  have provisions for the extended producers responsibility for collection and channelization of ewaste  from  consumers  to  authorised  dismantlers  and  recyclers;  responsibility  of  bulk consumers  of  electronic  products  for  its  safe  disposal;  responsibility  of  manufacturers generating electronic e-waste to channelize it for recycling and disposal; responsibilities of collection  centres,  dealers,  refurnishers,  bulk  consumers,  dismantlers,  recyclers  and  State Governments. The Rules also provide for reduction in hazardous substances in manufacturing of electric and electronic equipments and their components, spares or parts. The Rules also emphasise safe transportation of e-waste and accident reporting by e-waste handlers.  The Rules have provisions for simplified permission procedures for setting up of dismantling and recycling facilities through single authorisation based on Standard Operating Procedures  (SOP)  prescribed  by  Central  Pollution  Control  Board.  There  is  no  proposal  to include e-waste management within the mandate of Swachh Bharat Mission.

(e)  and  (f):  As  per  the  provisions  of  E-Waste  (Management)  Rules,  2016  rules  State Government has been assigned the responsibility for environmentally sound management of e-waste.  State  Government  through  its  Department  of  Industry  or  any  other  agency  has  to earmark  or  allocate  industrial  space  or  shed  for  e-waste  dismantling  and  recycling  in  the existing and upcoming industrial park, estate and industrial clusters and ensure recognition and  registration  of  workers  involved  in  dismantling  and  recycling  of  e-waste.  The  State Government  also  has  to  undertake  industrial  skill  development  activities  for  the  workers involved  in  the  dismantling  and  recycling  and  ensure  safety  and  health  of  the  workers  in dismantling  and  recycling  of  e-waste.  There  is  no  provision  to  penalise  the  state/UTs  to compensate  against generating more  e-waste. Further, for resource recovery through recycling, the Ministry is coordinating with Ministry of Electronic and Information Technology,  which  has  already  undertaken  initiatives  such  as  Research  and  Development programmes for recycling technology for extraction of precious metals, plastics and glass, upscaling innovative technologies, demonstrations through pilot plants and technology transfer.

## Annexure-1

The State/UT wise details of authorized dismantlers/recyclers are given below:

| Sl. No.   | State          |   Number of registered Dismantler and Recycler |   Registered Capacity in tonne per Annum |
|-----------|----------------|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|
| 1.        | Chhattisgarh   |                                              2 |                                   1650   |
| 2.        | Gujarat        |                                             12 |                                  37262.1 |
| 3.        | Haryana        |                                             16 |                                  49981   |
| 4.        | Karnataka      |                                             57 |                                  44620.5 |
| 5.        | Madhya Pradesh |                                              3 |                                   8985   |
| 6.        | Maharashtra    |                                             32 |                                  47810   |
| 7.        | Odisha         |                                              1 |                                   3000   |
| 8.        | Punjab         |                                              1 |                                    150   |
| 9.        | Rajasthan      |                                             10 |                                  68670   |
| 10.       | Tamil Nadu     |                                             14 |                                  52427   |
| 11.       | Telangana      |                                              4 |                                  11800   |
| 12.       | Uttar Pradesh  |                                             22 |                                  86130   |
| 13.       | Uttarakhand    |                                              3 |                                  28000   |
| 14.       | West Bengal    |                                              1 |                                    600   |
|           | Total          |                                            178 |                                 441086   |

***