Lok Sabha Question No. 2879 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-08-03
Subject: e-Waste Management
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: DUSHYANT CHAUTALA, RAMACHANDRAN MULLAPPALLY

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2879

TO BE ANSWERED ON 03.08.2018

## e-waste management

## 2879.  SHRI DUSHYANT CHAUTALA SHRI MULLAPPALLY RAMACHANDRAN:

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

- (a) whether there has been tremendous growth in the generation of e-waste in the country and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the National Green Tribunal has sought response from the Government on a plea alleging rampant violations of e-waste management rules notified;
- (c) if so, the details thereof and follow up actions taken by the Government in this regard;
- (d) whether it is also a fact that tonnes of second hand or used goods are being dumped in our country leading to a pile-up of e-waste and if so, the details thereof;
- (e) whether  the  Government  has  granted  any  permission  to  private  agencies  to  import such second hand wastes from other countries for the last five years; and
- (f) the  details  of  import  of  e-waste  in  the  country  during  the  last  three  years  and  the current year along with the steps taken to impose ban on import of hazardous e-waste?

## ANSWER

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

(a) The country's economic growth, rise in per capita income, and technological innovations coupled with high obsolescence rate of electronic and electrical equipments has resulted in increase  in  the  rate  of  generation  of  e-waste.  Comprehensive  inventorisation  of  e-waste generation  in  the  country  has  not  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  Global  E-waste Monitor 2017 Report of United Nations University the annual generation of e-waste in India was 2 million metric tons in 2016.

(b)  &  (c)  The  Hon'ble  National  Green  Tribunal  (NGT)  has  passed  various  directions regarding management of e-waste in the matter of OA no 143/2013, OA no.183/2014 and OA no 188/2014. Later, the Ministry has comprehensively revised the existing rules and notified E-Waste  (Management)  Rules  2016  for  better  management  of  e-waste  in  the  country.  In response to OA No. 58/2017, a joint inspection was also carried out by CPCB in association with  the  concerned  pollution  control  board  and  the  Ministry  at  Moradabad  and  in  nearby areas and submitted the report before the Tribunal in March 2017.

(d)  to  (f)  The  import  of  waste  including  e-waste  is  regulated  under  Hazardous  and  Other Waste  (Management  and  Transboundary  Movement)  Rules,  2016.  As  per  the  Rules,  no import of waste for dumping or for disposal in the country is permitted. The Ministry has not granted  any  permission  for  import  of  e-waste  into  the  country  for  the  above  purpose. However, import of used electrical and electronic goods have been granted for 3,24,007 items in 2014-15; 5,10,050 in 2015-16; 52,227 in 2016-17; 63,969 in 2017-18 and 39,531 in 201819 (till June, 2018) for re-use or repair.

****