E-Paper
L-G for safe disposal of e-waste in city
Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal on Thursday directed officials to develop a system of incentives and disincentives to encourage the safe disposal of e-waste and ensure effective enforcement of Extended Producers Responsibility (EPR) for better management of e-waste in the city, said officials in the know
Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal on Thursday directed officials to develop a system of incentives and disincentives to encourage the safe disposal of e-waste and ensure effective enforcement of Extended Producers Responsibility (EPR) for better management of e-waste in the city, said officials in the know.
The L-G also stressed the need to include traditional waste collectors (kabadiwalas) into the formal system for better collection and segregation of e-waste. Baijal issued the instructions in a meeting on e-waste management in Delhi on Thursday.
“Chaired meeting on E-Waste Management in Delhi with Chief Secretary, Commissioners of DMCs and other senior officers including Director, IIITD,” Baijal tweeted after the meeting.
The L-G also called for developing e-waste parks in a time-bound manner for better management.
“With a view to promote organised segregation, dismantling and recycling of e-waste currently being generated in Delhi/ NCR area, stressed upon formulation of a time bound action plan for establishing integrated and economically viable e-waste park(s) in collaboration with industry stakeholders,” said Baijal.
The L-G said he has also advised the officers to work in close coordination with the Central Pollution Control Board, the ministry of environment, forests & climate change and ministry of electronics and information technology to ensure effective implementation of the plan in a time-bound manner.
Senior officials in the three civic bodies (north, south and east) said so far, there is no government mechanism for e-waste disposal and management in the city and the national capital has been struggling to handle e-waste.
A study conducted by environment NGO Toxics Link in 2019 found at least 15 e-waste processing hot spots in the city that were operating without any health or environmental safeguards. Officials said according to a UN report, India is the third-largest producer of e-waste in the world. They admitted government agencies don’t have the exact data about the quantity of e-waste in Delhi and NCR.
“We don’t even have the information about the quantum of e-waste being generated in the city. So first, we have to get that and then develop a framework for e-waste disposal and management. In the meeting, directions were also issued to develop an oversight mechanism to ensure compliance with e-waste management rules and form a special purpose vehicle (SPV) for better coordination among all the stakeholders,” said a senior municipal official requesting anonymity.
Officials privy to the development said that in the meeting, it was stressed that the Delhi government will have to take care of the enforcement part of the mechanism and develop an e-waste park while civic bodies will have to ensure colle ction and segregation of e-waste (mainly electric appliances and e-vehicle batteries) in a better way.
