India enacted a law to manage e-waste in 2016, but lack of data and a monitoring mechanism have rendered it toothless
HOW DO most of us dispose of a mobile phone or a television set? Usually, by selling it to a scrap dealer. But as per the E-Waste Management Rules, which were notified in October 2016, manufacturers of electric and electronic equipments must facilitate their collection and return it to authorised dismantlers or recyclers. However, even one and a half years after the law was passed, there is little evidence that it is being implemented.
The matter came to light in March 2018 when the Delhi High Court was hearing a petition on solid waste management. The court asked Sunita Narain, director general of the Centre for Science and Environment, a Delhi-based non-profit, to submit a report on the status of e-waste in the country. While giving its interim order on May 22, the court directed the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEF&CC) “to devise a proper method of inventorization of e-waste” and come up with “a strategy and plan” for the proper management of e-waste in a timebound manner. The MOEF&CC has to now submit a status report within eight weeks.
Growth of e-waste
Denne historien er fra June 16, 2018-utgaven av Down To Earth.
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Denne historien er fra June 16, 2018-utgaven av Down To Earth.
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A SPRIG TO CARE FOR
Punarnava, a perennial herb, is easy to grow and has huge health benefits
DIGGING A DISASTER
Soapstone mining near Dabti Vijaypur village has caused many residents to migrate.
REVIEW THE TREATMENT
Several faecal sludge treatment plants in Uttar Pradesh suffer from design flaws that make the treatment process both expensive and inefficient
MAKE STEEL SUSTAINABLE
As India works to double its GDP by 2030, its steel industry must balance growth with sustainability. By embracing policies like the Steel Scrap Recycling Policy 2019 and adopting green technologies, India is paving the way for a more sustainable future in steel production
Can ANRF pull off the impossible for India?
Anusandhan National Research Foundation is expected to reorient India's innovation goals but funding issues, old mindsets remain a drag
TROUBLED WOODS
Forests are a great bulwark against climate change. But this is fast changing. AKSHIT SANGOMLA travels through some of the pristine patches of the Western Ghats to explore how natural disturbances triggered by global warming now threaten the forest health
BLINDING GLOW
The science is clear: increased illumination has damaging consequences for the health of humans, animals and plants. It’s time governments introduced policies to protect the natural darkness and improved the quality of outdoor lighting.
GROUND REALITY
What happens when the soil loses the ability to grow healthy, high-yield crops on its own?
GM POLICY MUST BE FARMER CENTRIC
On July 23, the Supreme Court of India directed the Union government to develop a national policy on genetically modified (GM) crops for research, cultivation, trade and commerce through public consultation.
Vinchurni's Gandhi
A 96-year-old farmer transforms barren land into a thriving forest in drought-prone region of Satara
