Lok Sabha Question No. 1326 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-07-28
Subject: E-Waste
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: SHASHI THAROOR

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

LOK SABHA

**UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1326**

**TO BE ANSWERED ON 28.07.2015**

**E-Waste**

1326.	 DR. SHASHI THAROOR

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

1. whether the Government has notified proposes to notify the e-waste (Management) Rules, 2015 to govern the collection and disposal of e-waste;

1. if so, the details thereof;

1. whether the Government is aware that even though the Central Pollution Control Board, in 2005 had predicted the generation of 8 lakh MT of e-waste in 2012, industry associations claim that India generates more than 13 lakh MT of e-waste and recycles only 2% of its total waste and if so, the details thereof and the reaction of the Government thereto;

1. whether the Government proposes to conduct a survey to determine the actual scale of the problem for better implementation of the rules and if so, the details thereof;

1. whether the Government also proposes to conduct awareness campaigns or execute an e-Swachh Bharat Programme for educating people and companies on the need for recycling e-waste; and

1. if so, the details thereof?

**ANSWER**

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

(SHRI PRAKASH JAVADEKAR)

1. & (b)	For effective and efficient management of electronic waste, Ministry has published draft E-Waste Management Rules, 2015 inviting public comments and suggestions.  The provisions of this Draft Rule include expanding producers’ responsibility, setting up of Producers’ Responsibility Organizations, and E-waste Exchange, assigning specific responsibility to bulk consumers of electronic products for safe disposal, providing for economic incentives for collection of electronic waste, providing for logo-based identification of e-waste Rules compliant companies, providing for restriction on Government procurement of electronic products only from the companies who are compliant with e-waste Rules, and other measures to include dedicated responsibility of electronic and electrical product manufacturers for collection and channelizing of electronic waste.

3. As per the information furnished by Central Pollution Control Board, the total capacity for processing of e-waste in the country is 4,55,059 Tonne per Annum (TA).  However, in the year 2013-14 the quantity of 1,21,381 Tonnes of e-waste was processed by registered dismantler and recyclers, which is 15.2% of the generated e-waste having taken into account the estimated e-waste in the country by CPCB to the tune of 8 lakh tonne per year by the year 2012,

1. Inventorization of e-waste is an ongoing process and under the provision of e-Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011 the responsibility of inventorization rests with respective State Pollution Control Boards.

1. & (f) Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY), Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, GoI has initiated a project entitled “Awareness Programme on Environmental Hazards of Electronic Waste” through Digital India Initiative.  The proposed project aims to create awareness on environmentally sound management e-waste so as to reduce the adverse impact on health and environment due to recycling of e-waste in the unorganized sector.

******