Lok Sabha Question No. 682 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-07-24
Subject: e-waste
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Balak Nath, Feroze Varun Gandhi

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 682

TO BE ANSWERED ON 24.07.2023

## e-waste

## 682. SHRI BALAK NATH:

SHRI FEROZE VARUN GANDHI:

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

- (a)  whether there is  any  estimate  of  e-waste  generated  in  the  country  and  if  so,  the  details thereof;
- (b) the details of the action taken by the Government against the violators of the provisions of the e-waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011;
- (c) the measures taken by the Government to reduce the number of the persons engaged in recycling/dismantling of e-waste in the country drastically specially in Rajasthan during the last three years;
- (d)  whether  as  per  the  e-waste  management  law,  the  Central  Pollution  Control  Board  and State  Pollution  Control  Board  have  to  conduct  random  checks  on  the  registered companies on e-waste collection/ recycling targets; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof the random checks that have been conducted by the Government so far in this regard?

## ANSWER

MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

(a) The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) estimates the e-waste generation at national level based on the countrywide sales data provided by producers, and average life of notified electrical  and  electronic  equipment  (EEE),  as  mandated  under  the  E-waste  Management Rules, 2016. As per the CPCB, e-waste generated in the country from twenty-one (21) types of  EEE  notified  under  the  E-Waste  (Management)  Rules,  2016  in  the  financial  year  (FY) 2020-21  and  2021-22  was  estimated  as  13,46,496.31  Tonnes  and  16,01,155.36  tonnes respectively.

(b) & (c )  Based on the inspections carried out by CPCB and State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs)/Pollution Control Committees (PCCs), violation of E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2016 was reported in case of ten  (10)  Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Authorised Producers.  Accordingly,  in  April  2019,  their  EPR  Authorisation  were  suspended.  SPCBs verified more  than  400  collection  centers of these ten (10) producers  submitted  its verification reports to CPCB. Suspension of EPR authorisation was later revoked in case of eight (08) producers on the basis of corrective measures taken by them and their verification. Further,  CPCB  in  January  2020  carried  out  inspection  of  three  authorized  dismantlers  and recyclers  in  the  State  of  Uttar  Pradesh  and  they  were  found  to  be  violating  E-Waste (Management)  Rules,  2016  and  Implementation  Guidelines  for  E-Waste  (Management) Rules,  2016.  Accordingly,  CPCB  issued  direction  under  section  18(1)(b)  of  the  Water

(Prevention  and  Control  of  Pollution)  Act,  1974  and  the  Air  (Prevention  and  Control  of Pollution) Act 1981 to Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board in May, 2020 for taking action against  them.  In  September  2022  CPCB  issued  directions  under  Section  18(1)  (b)  of  the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1974, and Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution)  Act  1981  for  checking  Informal  E-Waste  activities,  verification  of  authorized dismantlers/recyclers  of  E-waste  and  drives  for  mass  awareness  to  all  SPCBs/PCCs.  The Government  has  not  taken  any  step  to  reduce  the  number  of  the  persons  engaged  in recycling/dismantling of e-waste in the country rather proposes to promote recycling sector.

(d) & (e)  Ministry has comprehensively revised the previous set of Rules and notified the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022 in November, 2022 and the same is enforce since 1 st April, 2023.  As per the provision of these rules, CPCB has to conduct random  check for ascertaining  compliance  of  the  e-waste  rules  and  may  take  help  of  Customs/  State Government or any other agency (ies) and SPCBs/PCCs have to conduct random inspection of recycler and refurbisher and monitor recycling capacity utilization. Following inspections/ verifications have been carried out in recent years by CPCB/SPCBs/PCCs:

-  The Regional Directorate Bhopal, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Vadodara and Lucknow of CPCB  carried  inspections/  verifications  of  33  dismantlers  and  recyclers  during March to May 2019.
-  In  the  year  2019,  based  on  the  directions  of  CPCB  for  compliance verification  of dismantler/  Recyclers,  17  SPCBs/PCCs  inspected  around  two  hundred  and  sixtythree (263) dismantling and recycling facilities.
-  In  the  Year  2018,  CPCB  directed  all  SPCBs/PCCs  to  carry  out  verification  of dismantlers/  Recyclers.  Based  on  the  reports  submitted,  09  SPCBs/PCCs  have inspected around 167 dismantlers & recycler.
-  An  Action  Plan  for  enforcement  of  E-Waste  (Management)  Rules,  across  the country is in place and is being implemented by all the SPCBs)/PCCs. The Action Plan  contains  action  points  on  inspections  of  dismantlers/  recycler,  verification  of facilities  of  producers  and  also  checking  informal  e-waste  units.  During  financial year  (FY)  2019-20,  total  22  SPCBs/PCCs  have  carried  out  inspection  of  227 dismantlers/ recyclers and 608 E-Waste Collection centers to verify compliance of the rules.

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