New Delhi: In spite of the United Nations report regarding alarming increase in generation of e-wastes in the country, the Centre has not assessed the annual quantity of e-wastes generated since 2010.
Replying to a non-starred question by Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MP Bhartruhari Mahtab, seeking details of e-waste generation and recycling, Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar stated in the LS that a comprehensive assessment of e-wastes has not been done in the country.
The minister said that in 2005 the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) had estimated that there were 1.47 lakh tonne of e-wastes in the country and in 2010 the amount reached eight lakh tonne.
As per the Global E-waste Monitor 2017 Report of United Nations University, the annual generation of e-wastes in India was two million tonne in 2016.
MAIT, an association of the ICT industry in India, says that Odisha generated 1,236.50 tonne e-wastes in 2016.
Javadekar said 304 recyclers have been authorised by 18 State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) and Pollution Control Committees (PCCs).
These authorised dismantlers and recyclers have equipment and facilities for the environmentally safe processing of e-wastes. The total annual processing capacity of these units stands at 7,80,865 tonne.
In Odisha, the minister said, there were three authorised recyclers having an annual processing capacity of 3,680 tonne.
The ministry had notified the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2016, March 23, 2016, and has made amendments to it in March 2018 for its effective implementation.
The rules cover extended producer responsibility, setting up of producer responsibility organisations and e-waste exchanges to facilitate collection and recycling, assigning specific responsibility to bulk consumers of electronic products for safe disposal, and other measures which include the responsibility of producers of electronic and electrical products for collection and channelising of electronic wastes.