NASHIK: The National Green Tribunal has directed the state pollution control boards across the country to sort and dispose off electronic waste as per the e-waste disposal management rules, 2016. The health of the general public will be endangered as the administration is not serious about e-waste management rules.
This negligence of the administration may become costly in the future, said the tribunal, lashing out at the Central Pollution Control Board. E-waste means ‘electronic waste’ is on the rise. The tribunal also said that the agency did not have a competent mechanism to deal with that. A petition regarding the waste disposal issue is being heard before the main bench of the National Green Tribunal.
Disposal of e-waste should be done in accordance with the rules laid down by the Central Pollution Control Board. According to the information given to the tribunal by the Union Ministry of Environment in 2018, 95 per cent of e-waste in the country is disposed of in an unscientific manner by unorganized sector and scrap dealers.
Most of this waste is destroyed by burning or melting in chemicals. Three years after the incident, no concrete steps have been taken at the administrative level. In many places today, people burn wires, electrical wires, and other equipment to obtain various metals from e-waste. The smoke coming out of it is adversely affecting the health of them and the people around them. The vigilance committee should work to prevent these incidents. Maharashtra is one of the largest e-waste generating states in the country.
The IT companies are the biggest source of e-waste generation. It is learned that the disposal companies have less capacity as compared to the total waste collected. Meanwhile, the regulations do not allow people to dump e-waste irresponsibly anywhere. Producers and distributors, shopkeepers, are responsible for the proper disposal of this waste.
There is also provision for punitive action for non-compliance with the rules. E-waste is the use of computer monitors, keyboards, mouse, damaged spare parts of mobiles, electronic devices, televisions, electronic toys, depleted cells, and other electronics. 1 million metric tons of e-waste last year.
According to the report submitted by the Central Pollution Control Board, India collected 1 million metric tons of waste in the period 2019-20. Before that, in 2017-18, the figure was 7 lakh metric tonnes. However, compared to that, the capacity of e-waste disposal system and related companies is still very low. This is only 82 lakh tonnes. The e-waste disposal system has not yet been implemented anywhere in the state or county yet.
1 million metric tons of e-waste last year
According to the report submitted by the Central Pollution Control Board, India collected 1 million metric tons of waste in the period 2019-20. Before that, in 2017-18, the figure was 7 lakh metric tonnes. However, compared to that, the capacity of e-waste disposal system and related companies is still very low. This is only 82 lakh tonnes. The e-waste disposal system has not yet been implemented anywhere in the state or county yet.
