India's capital becoming world's e-waste dumping yard, says report

A new study has revealed that Delhi-NCR is turning into the world's dumping yard for electronic waste and could collectively generate more than 95,000 metric tons (MT) per annum by 2017.

According to Enterprise Innovation, the paper by the Associated Chambers of Commerce of India (ASSOCHAM) says e-waste in India is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 25 percent from today's 55,000 MT per annum.

The main contributor of e-waste in India is the US, which ships about 42 percent of its e-waste in the country, followed by China and the European Union, who dump nearly 30 percent and 18 percent e-wastage in Delhi-NCR respectively.

D S Rawat, Secretary General ASSOCHAM, said during the release of the study that less than 2 percent of India's total electronic waste gets recycled due to absence of proper infrastructure, legislation and framework.

Rawat said as many as 10,500 mobile handset, 6,500 TV sets and 4,000 personal computers are dismantled in the city every day for reuse of their component parts and materials.

Delhi also receives the e-waste imported from Mumbai, Bangalore and Kolkata as there is an available market for glass and plastic in the NCR, the report said.

Government, public and private industries make up for 70 percent of the e-waste while household waste accounts for about 15 percent

Majority of the e-waste includes televisions, refrigerators and washing machines.

Computers account for another 20 per cent and mobile phones 2 percent.

The study said that these products have components that contain toxic substances like lead, cadmium, mercury, hexavalent chromium, plastic, PVC, BFRs, barium, beryllium, and carcinogens like carbon black and heavy metals.

The paper warned this deadly mix could cause severe health problems in those handling the waste. Printed circuit boards, for instance, contain heavy metals like antimony, gold, silver, chromium, zinc, lead, tin and copper. The method of extracting these materials from circuit boards is highly hazardous and involves heating the metals in the open.