NGT flags gaps in e-waste management across country

Highlighting the challenges of weak inter-state tracking of e-waste and incomplete inventorisation, the bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava, in its order dated February 12, directed the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to file a comprehensive status report at least a week before the next hearing on May 21.

New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has flagged gaps in the management of electronic-waste (e-waste) across the country, noting that 17 States and UTs — including Delhi — did not currently have any e-waste recycling facility.

The NGT had in 2024 taken suo motu cognisance of a news report, flagging a 72% rise in e-waste generation in the country in five years (Representative photo)

Highlighting the challenges of weak inter-state tracking of e-waste and incomplete inventorisation, the bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava, in its order dated February 12, directed the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to file a comprehensive status report at least a week before the next hearing on May 21.

The CPCB, in one of its action-taken reports based on a previous tribunal order, outlined compliance on six major issues, including the availability of recycling units, interstate transportation records, monitoring of the informal sector, and inventorisation under the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022.

The NGT had in 2024 taken suo motu cognisance of a news report, flagging a 72% rise in e-waste generation in the country in five years.

At present, Delhi relies largely on agreements with recyclers located outside Delhi, primarily in the NCR region. However, the Delhi government is working on setting up an e-waste eco-park at Holambi Kalan in Narela, which is currently in the pre-tendering stage, officials said.

According to the order, based on the reports received from 33 SPCBS/PCCs, there are 17 States and Union Territories without e-waste recycling facilities, namely Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Arunachal Pradesh Chandigarh, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, Delhi, Goa, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Lakshadweep, Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Odisha, Puducherry, Sikkim and Tripura.

These SPCBs/PCCs have reported that e-waste is being managed through authorized collection centres, dismantlers, agencies or transporters, followed by channelisation to CPCB/EPR-registered recyclers located outside the State/UT, with records as per applicable rules, the order states.

It may be noted that there are no registered recyclers in any of the UT except Jammu & Kashmir, the order stated.

NGT further observed that the recycling infrastructure remains concentrated in just 16 States, such as Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Maharashtra. Uttar Pradesh alone has 106 units, while Karnataka has 101.

The Tribunal was informed that only 12 State Pollution Control Boards/Pollution Control Committees maintain records of interstate transportation of e-waste, as required under the Hazardous and Other Wastes Rules.

Only seven States and UTs — Assam, Delhi, Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Nagaland, and Tripura — completed inventorisation covering all 106 categories of Electrical and Electronic Equipment (EEE). The remaining 26 are still in the process, with several providing only projections instead of actual assessments, the bench noted.

Taking note of the gaps, the bench directed CPCB to submit a further detailed status report before the next hearing, underscoring the need for stronger monitoring and uniform implementation of e-waste rules across the country.