Management of E-waste
The import and export of
hazardous and other wastes is regulated under the Hazardous and Other Wastes
(Management and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2016 notified by the Ministry.
Government had banned import of e-waste in the country by listing e-waste in
the Schedule VI (Basel No. A1180) of the said rules.
The Comptroller and Auditor General of India
(CAG) in its Report No. 16 of 2018 titled “Performance Audit of Working of
Inland Container Depots (ICDs) and Container Freight Stations (CFSs)” has
reported that as on 31st March, 2017, 469 containers of hazardous
waste were lying uncleared for a period ranging from
one to seventeen years wherein, no illegal shipment of e-waste was reported.
The management of e-waste in the Country is
regulated under the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2016. Under the said Rules, the
responsibility of disposal of e-waste in a scientific and environmentally sound
manner has been assigned to Producers of notified Electrical & Electronic
Equipment (EEE) as listed in Schedule – I of the said rules under the principle
of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). Under EPR regime producers of EEE,
have given annual e-waste collection and recycling targets based on the
generation from the previously sold EEE or based on sales of EEE as the case
may be.
The compliance monitoring is done through Action
Plan developed by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) for enforcement of
E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2016 in the Country. The major action points
include identification of Non-EPR Authorization producers, State/UT wise inventorization of e-waste, verification of system provided
by producers for e-waste channelization, verification of facilities of
dismantlers/ recyclers, drives for checking informal activities, formulation of
State Level Committee for monitoring implementation of rules and mass awareness
activities etc. Under the action plan, monitoring and compliance of producers
are ensured through Sate Pollution Control Boards and Pollution Control
Committees. Further, under the existing rules, provisions are in place for
action against the companies who are violating the said rules.
This information was given by Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Minister
of State, Ministry of Environment, Forest &
Climate Change in Rajya Sabha on 24 March 2022.