E-waste

Question by: Omprakash Bhupalsinh alias Pawan Rajenimbalkar.

1. whether e-waste is increasing rapidly in the country, every year;
2. whether the Government has any plan for disposal of e-waste,
3. whether the Government is aware that the workers engaged in e-waste management are getting affected by various diseases and several casualties have been recorded as a result; and
4. if so, the steps taken by the Government to save people from such problems and to set up a safe disposal system for e-waste?

Answer by: Minister of State in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (Babul Supriyo)

• 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 E-Waste has been assigned to State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) and Pollution Control Committees (PCCs). As per the information of CPCB, so far seven SPCBs namely Goa, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Punjab have completed the inventorization of e-waste generation.
• 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.
• Under the said rules, Producers of EEE have been given responsibility under the principal of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for collection and environmentally sound management of e-waste and for creating awareness among consumers and bulk consumers.
• The said rules have provisions for environmentally sound collection, transportation, storage, dismantling and recycling of e-waste. In the rules, role and responsibilities of different stakeholders have been clearly defined. Under EPR, producers have to obtain Extended Producer Responsibility Authorization (EPRA). In the EPRA of the producer’s e-waste collection targets are mentioned which is based either on their generation or on their sale of EEE.
• 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:
  • ensure recognition and registration of workers involved in dismantling and recycling;
  • assist formation of groups of such workers to facilitate setting up dismantling facilities;
  • undertakes industrial skill development activities for the workers involved indismantling and recycling;
• undertakes annual monitoring and to ensure safety & health of workers involved indismantling and recycling;