In what may turn out to be an alarming signal for India, mobile phones, televisions and personal computing devices are part of the 'most dangerous' electronic waste (e-waste) produced in India.
Zee Media Bureau
New Delhi: In what may turn out to be an alarming signal for India, mobile phones, televisions and personal computing devices are part of the 'most dangerous' electronic waste (e-waste) produced in India. As per a report based on a study published in Economic Times, India is one of the leading producers of this dangerous waste in the world.
The report states that by 2020 India may produce 5.2 million metric tonnes of e-waste per annum from 1.8 million tonnes.
A new study revealed that India has emerged as the fifth largest producer of e-waste in the world by discarding roughly 18.5 lakh metric tonnes of electronic waste every year.
New Delhi: A new study revealed that India has emerged as the fifth largest producer of e-waste in the world by discarding roughly 18.5 lakh metric tonnes of electronic waste every year.
The study was conducted jointly by industry body Assocham (Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India) and consultancy firm KPMG.
The study shows that as much as 12 percent of the 18.5 lakh metric tonnes are discarded by India constitutes of telecom equipment alone.
It also states that with more than 100 crore mobile phones in circulation, nearly 25 percent end up in e-waste annually.
“India has surely emerged as the second largest mobile market with 1.03 billion subscribers, but also the fifth largest producer of e-waste in the world, discarding roughly 18.5 lakh metric tonnes of electronic waste each year with telecom equipment alone accounting for 12 per cent of the e-waste,” it said.
While releasing the study, P. Balaji, chairman of Assocham national council on telecommunications, said, “Over 100 million handsets have been manufactured last year".
The unorganized sector in India is estimated to handle around 95 per cent of the e-waste produced in the country. Given the huge user base and vast reach of telecom in India, it is practically difficult and expensive for the handset manufacturers to achieve the targets prescribed in the rules from first year.
Suggesting a system of feasible checks, Assocham said that e-waste collection targets should be implemented in a phased manner with lower and practically achievable target limits.
Also, the detailed implementation of procedures for collection of e-waste from the market needs to be followed, it said in a statement.
Bareilly: A report submitted to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) revealed that a district-level committee constituted by the district magistrate of Moradabad found 25,586 cubic metres of e-waste (black powder) at the banks of the Ramganga in May this year.
The samples collected from river banks were examined by the Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (IITR), which indicated presence of chromium, cadmium, copper, lead, nickel, manganese and zinc. The concentration of metals in the black powder is above the threshold limit as specified in schedule-II of hazardous and other wastes (Management and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2016.
According to the report (a copy is with TOI), DM Moradabad constituted a district level committee, which included officials of municipal corporation, PWD, rural engineering services, mining and Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB), inspected the sites for assessment of black powder lying on banks of Ramganga. The committee found black powder- 9,950 cubic metre at Lalbagh, 975 cubic metre at Dashwanghat, 4,650 cubic metre at Nawabpura and 10,011 cubic metre at Barbwalan- banks of the river. The total e-waste processing waste has been accessed as 25,586 cubic metre.
The report stated that UPPCB collected the samples from four locations- Lalbagh, Dashwanghat, Nawabpura and Barbwalan- and sent it to IITR.
According to the report, in a meeting of special secretary, environment and members of UPPCB and district officials, it was decided to explore the possibility of recovery of metallic constituents by inviting expression of interest considering the facts that significant amount of metals are present in the black powder. It was also decided to recover the cost to be incurred in disposal of black powder, in the first phase, from 40 units closed earlier. It has also been discussed that the black powder lying on the banks of Ramganga being “orphan waste” can be disposed of by the local body in accordance with the provisions of E-waste rules, 2016.
Advocate Gaurav Bansal, who is representing the petitioner Mahendra Pandey on the issue of illegal processing of e-waste at Ramganga, said, “After UPPCB has submitted the report, NGT has sought our reply by the next date of hearing in November.”