Hyderabad: The Telangana State Pollution Control Board says that the relaxation of rules covering e-waste disposal by the Union ministry of environment has lowered the initial targets for existing electronics manufacturers and has set a weaker benchmark for new entrepreneurs. This leading to improper disposal of e-waste.
A board official said there was a sharp decline of 30 per cent in the e-waste which companies are supposed to retrieve and dispose of.
While the new rules were formulated to ensure more participation by industry, they are being questioned by environmentalists.
Environmentalist Samuel Veda said, “The motive might be good but the implementation of the earlier guideline more strictly is the answer, not the reduction of the existing amount expected from industries.”
The earlier rules stated that a provision called Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) was to be followed by industries which laid down targets that were to be met for safe disposal of e-waste.
Producers were asked to retrieve and dispose 30 per cent of waste which would increase to 40 per cent by their fourth year and go to 70 per cent during their seventh year.
The new rules say that industries are supposed to meet the 70 per cent target by 2023, and they have been given some leeway during the initial years,
New entrants into the business will have to meet only a 5 per cent target in 2018-19. “Although relaxation should be given to new entrants, each industry should be monitored before the decision is taken,” Mr Veda said
He said many mobile phone manufacturers, particularly those from China, will not have to take back that many of their e-waste, he said.
“While some choose to sell their e-waste to scrap dealers, many dispose it off of in an improper way. Many companies shy away from having e-waste management citing costs but a large amount of this waste is already managed by outsiders and therefore is they could all get in touch with a third party, the costs can be brought down,” said a senior PCB official.
