Electronic Waste Volumes in India Surged 43% in Past Three Years

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The written statement submitted in the Indian Parliament by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change suggested that electronic waste generation in the country continued to surge over the past three years.

The e-waste generation in the country has increased by over 43% during this period. The total e-waste generation stood at nearly 24.94 lakh tonnes. A total of 7.08 lakh tonnes were generated in 2017-’18, while the figures for 2018-’19 and 2019-’20 stood at 7.71 lakh tonnes and 10.14 lakh tonnes respectively.

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According to Union Minister Babul Supriyo, state pollution control boards of seven states have completed inventorization of e-waste generation. Although the E-Waste Management Rules, 2016 makes it mandatory for all states to do so, the inventory data from majority of states are still unavailable.

The Minister admitted that several cases of diseases and even casualties are reported among workers engaged in e-waste management. The handling of e-waste using unscientific methods poses health risks to workers and damage to environment. He urged that all electronic and electrical products must be stored and processed in an environmentally sound manner after their useful life.