E-waste generation rose by 31.6% during last year

India generated 10,14,961.2 tonnes of e-waste in 2020, which is a 31.6 per cent increase from 2019, Minister of State for Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Ashwini Kumar Choubey informed the Rajya Sabha earlier this week. The minister said that national data regarding e-waste is only available from 2017-18 onwards.

In 2017-18, India generated 7,08,445 tonnes of e-waste and 7,71,215 tonnes in 2018-19 – an increase of 8.86 per cent.

The Minister was responding to a question placed before the House by MP Neeraj Shekhar, who asked for details on the e-waste generated in the past three years. Shekhar also asked for state-wise data and a report on deaths, if any, that had resulted from e-waste, reports the Indian Express.

The minister said that no deaths related to e-waste have been reported in the country so far and the Ministry was promoting an efficient e-waste collection mechanism.

A total number of 1,766 producers have been registered for EPR Authorisation and 57 Producers Responsibility Organizations (PROs) have obtained registration, as per CPCB data, the minister said.