Almost a year after Bengaluru came third in a study that determined the top electronic waste (e-waste) generating cities in India, the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) is finally preparing to crack the whip on producers and consumers who improperly dispose of e-waste.
A circular sent out recently to all government departments in the State asks them to start complying with the E-Waste Management Rules, 2016, which require bulk consumers such as government offices, banks and educational institutions to maintain records of e-waste generated by them and to channelise them to authorised collection centres.
“It has been a year since the rules came into effect, so they have had ample time to get their act together. We will be holding a meeting in April with all the departments, after which they will be given a month’s time to take steps to ensure compliance. After that, we will start sending notices if they are found to be non-complaint,” said KSPCB chairman Lakshman.
He added that even private organisations would come under the purview of the drive and their compliance would impact the renewal of licence for consent of operation. Producers (dealers, retailers and e-retailers) of electric and electronic equipment too are bound by the rules. They will be required to, among other things, set up collection centres or take-back systems and provide details of authorised collection centres.
Admitting that no action has been taken so far against irresponsible disposal of e-waste, Mr. Lakshman said the board has started collecting information on the matter now.
Incidentally, in 2016, a study conducted by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) and Frost & Sullivan said Bengaluru was “sitting on an e-waste time bomb”. The study had also pointed out that government, public and private industries contribute to more than 70% of the e-waste in India, while 15% comes from households.
