Govt authorises 37 centres to collect e-waste: Hussain

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 17

Raising concern over unauthorised dismantling and recycling of e-waste,  Environment Minister Imran Hussain said the government has authorised 37 collection centres for collecting e-waste.

Stressing the need for public awareness about hazards of improper disposal of electronic waste, Hussain observed that practice of burning of e-waste for extracting various metals is a big menace posing threat for human health and environment.

It needs to be curbed, said the minister while addressing a workshop organised by the Environment Department on e-waste management for bulk consumers.

According to experts, it is a common practice the user tends to dispose of such waste by selling these items to scrap dealers who in turn are generally ignorant about handling e-waste and sometime burn them.

The process of extracting valuable metals by burning electronic materials involves release of harmful gases to the atmosphere causing air pollution.

E-waste should be disposed of only to the Delhi Pollution Control Committee authorised collection centres in strict adherence to the e-waste Management Rules. The 

Environment Department have authorised 37 collection centres for collecting e-waste. 

The agencies concerned need to make available disposal facilities for handling e-waste.

The Government of India had notified revised e-Waste Management Rules, 2016, on March 23, 2016 and which have come into force with effect from October 1, 2016.

These rules are applicable to every manufacturer, producer, bulk consumer, collection centres, dealers, e-retailers, refurbishers, dismantlers and recyclers involved in manufacture, sale, transfer, purchase, collection, storage and processing of e-waste or electrical and electronic equipment.

During the workshop presentations on e-waste legislations and management by experts Dr Amit Jain, MD, IRG Systems, South Asia, and Priti Mahesh, chief programme coordinator, Toxics 

Link, an organisation dedicated to creating a toxics-free world.