The Minister of state (I/C) for Environment and Forests Smt. Jayanthi Natarajan stated in Lok Sabha today that based on a survey carried out by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), it is estimated that 1.47 lakh Metric Tons (MT) of e-waste was generated in the country in the year 2005, which is expected to increase to about 8.00 lakh MT by 2012.
She further said that the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) has notified the Hazardous Wastes (Management, Handling and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2008. Import and export of e-waste are regulated under these rules. Import of such wastes for disposal is not permitted. Import is permitted only for recycling or recovery or reuse with the permission of the Ministry of Environment and Forests and/or Directorate General of Foreign Trade. Permission for import and export of e-waste is considered only by those recycling units, which have environmentally sound recycling facilities and are registered with State Pollution Control Board (SPCB)/ Pollution Control Committee (PCC) concerned. The Ministry has, in the past, given permission for export of e-waste by these registered recycling units and import of 8000 MT of e-waste to only one such unit for recycling
She further said that the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) has notified the Hazardous Wastes (Management, Handling and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2008. Import and export of e-waste are regulated under these rules. Import of such wastes for disposal is not permitted. Import is permitted only for recycling or recovery or reuse with the permission of the Ministry of Environment and Forests and/or Directorate General of Foreign Trade. Permission for import and export of e-waste is considered only by those recycling units, which have environmentally sound recycling facilities and are registered with State Pollution Control Board (SPCB)/ Pollution Control Committee (PCC) concerned. The Ministry has, in the past, given permission for export of e-waste by these registered recycling units and import of 8000 MT of e-waste to only one such unit for recycling