Lok Sabha Question No. 898 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-02-05
Subject: Disposal of e-waste
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Ajay Kumar Mandal

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 898

TO BE ANSWERED ON 05.02.2021

## Disposal of e-waste

## 898. SHRI AJAY KUMAR MANDAL:

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

- (a) whether e-waste is increasing in the country every year and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government has formulated any plan for the disposal of e-waste;
- (c) if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether  the  Government  is  aware  of  the  fact  that  several  workers  engaged  in  the disposal of e-waste have suffered from various diseases including loss of life and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the corrective measures taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI BABUL SUPRIYO)

(a) As  per the information available with Central  Pollution  Control  Board  (CPCB) generation  of  e-waste  is  increasing  every  year.The  Government  has  made  provisions  for inventorization  of  e-waste  generation  across  the  country  under the  E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2016. Under the said Rules, the responsibility for inventorization of generation of EWaste has been assigned to State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) and Pollution Control Committees (PCCs).

The  E-Waste  (Management)  Rules,  2016are  effective  from  01.10.2016.  Accordingly, CPCB has estimated the generation of e-waste at the national level on the basis of sales data of 21 types of notified Electrical & Electronic Equipment (EEE) from Financial Year (FY) 2017-2018. The estimated generation of e-waste during Financial Year (FY) 2017-2018, FY 2018-2019 & FY 2019-2020 is given below:

-  For  FY 2017-18, the  estimated  generation of e-waste is 7,08,445 tonnes for 21 types of EEE.
-  For FY 2018-2019, the estimated generation of e-waste is 7,71,215 tonnes for 21 type of EEE.
-  For FY 2019-2020, the estimated generation of ewaste is10,14,961.2 tonnefor 21 types of EEE.
- (b) &(c) For the disposal of E-waste in an environmentally sound manner, Government has  notified  E-Waste  (Management)  Rules,  2016.  The  regulations  intend  at  taking  all steps required to ensure that e-waste is managed in a manner which shall protect health and environment against any adverse effects, which may result from such e-waste. The said rules are effective from 01.10.2016and have the following specific objectives:
-  Extended  Responsibility  to  producers  to  manage  a  system  of  E-waste  collection, storage, transportation and environmentally sound dismantling and recycling through EPR Authorization (EPRA).
-  To promote and encourage establishment of an efficient e-waste collection mechanism.
-  To promote Environmentally Safe & Sound Recycling through authorized dismantlers and recyclers of e-waste.
-  To minimize illegal recycling / recovery operations.
-  Reduce Hazardous substances in Electrical and Electronic components.

The  management  of  e-waste  under  the  rules  is  primarily  based  on  the  principal  of Extended  Producer  Responsibility  (EPR).  Under  EPR,  the  producers  of  EEE  listed  in  the Schedule-I of rules have been given responsibility of management of their products once they have attained end of life. Under the E-Waste Rules, CPCB is issuing EPR authorization to the producers of EEE, wherein they have been given e-waste collection targets on annual basis. 1675 Producers have been given EPR Authorization as on date.

The  e-waste  collection  targets  given  by  CPCB  to  EPRA  producers  during  the  FY 2018-19 was around1,54,242.74 tonne.  Further based on the annual returns submitted by 32 SPCBs/PCCs, around 1,64,663 tonne of e-waste was processed during FY2018-19. There are 407 authorized dismantlers/recyclers of E-Waste in the country having processing capacity of 11,10,103.22 tonne.

(d) & (e) The electronic products and electrical equipment after their useful life do not cause any  harm  to  environment  if  stored  and  processed  in  an  environmentally  sound  manner. However, if  the  E-waste  is  opened-up  and  unscientific  methods  are  used  for  extraction  of precious  and  semi-precious  material  from  it,  then  it  causes  health  risks  and  damage  to environment.  However,  no  specific  studies  to  assess  the  damage  caused  by  e-Waste  on Environment have been carried so far.

Under  the  E-Waste  (Management)  Rules,  2016,  the  safety  and  health  of  workers involved  in  dismantling  and  recycling  of  e-waste  has  been  ensured  through  department  of Labour or any other agency authorized in this regard by the concerned State government. As per the Rule 12(2) of the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2016, Department of Labour in the State  or  any  other  government  agency  authorised  in  this  regard  by  the  State  Government shall: is reproduced below:

- (a) ensure recognition and registration of workers involved in dismantling and recycling;
- (b) assist  formation  of  groups  of  such  workers  to  facilitate  setting  up  dismantling facilities;
- (c) undertakes industrial skill development activities for the workers involved in dismantling and recycling;
- (d) undertakes annual monitoring and to ensure safety & health of workers involved in dismantling and recycling;

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