Lok Sabha Question No. 3990 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-08-10
Subject: Electronic Waste
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: B.V. NAYAK

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3990

TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.08.2018

## Electronic Waste

## 3990. SHRI B.V. NAIK:

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

- (a) whether  Electronic-Waste  (E-waste)  in  the  country  is  increasing  at  a  fast  pace every year;
- (b) if so, the details of E-wastes generated during the last five years, State/UT-wise;
- (c) whether the Government has any plan for safe disposal of E-wastes and if  so, the details thereof, State-wise;
- (d) whether the Government is aware of the fact that workers involved in disposal of E-wastes are contracting several diseases resulting in their death; and
- (e) whether the Government has any proposal to protect people from such diseases and ensure safe disposal of E-wastes and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

(a)  to  (c)  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 inventorization of ewaste 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 Nation University the annual generation of e-waste in India was 2 million metric tonnes in 2016. For safe disposal of e-waste there are 275 authorized dismantling/recycling units with a capacity of 5,10,950.1 metric tonnes per annum.

(d) & (e) The toxic constituents such as Lead, Mercury, Cadmium, Hexavalent Chromium, Polybrominated biphenyls and Polybrominated diphenyl ethers are used in the manufacturing of electronic devices. Disposal of e-waste from such electronic devices, without processing it in an environmentally sound manner, may affect the human health and environment including soil  and  ground  water.  However,  no  case  of  workers  involved  in  disposal  of  e-wastes contracting diseases and resulting in their death have been reported to the Ministry. In order to  ensure safe disposal  of e-waste the Ministry  has notified E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2016 on 23 rd March, 2016 and has further made amendments in March, 2018 for its effective implementation.  The  provisions  of  these  Rules  include  extended  producers  responsibility, setting  up  of  producer  responsibility  organizations  and  e-waste  exchange  to  facilitate collection  and  recycling,  assigning  specific  responsibility  to  bulk  consumers  of  electronic products  for  safe  disposal.  The  Rules  also  provide  for  simplified  permission  process  for setting  up  of  dismantling  and  recycling  facilities  through  single  authorization  based  on Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) prescribed by CPCB. State Governments have been entrusted with the responsibility for earmarking industrial space for e-waste dismantling and recycling facilities and to undertake industrial skill development and establish measures for protection of health and safety of workers engaged in dismantling and recycling facilities of e-waste.

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