E-waste management draft rules puts liability on producer:Govt

Amid concerns expressed by members in Rajya Sabha over the hazardous effects of e-waste, government today said its new e-waste management draft rules puts the "absolute liability" on producers of such waste and their safe disposal.
"The draft of the e-waste (Management) Rules 2015 have been published by the Ministry. The Provisions of Draft Rules include expanding producers' responsibility in the form of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), setting up of Producers Responsibility Organizations (PRO)and e-waste exchange," Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju told the Upper House during Question Hour.
Besides it also include assigning specific responsibility to bulk consumers of electronic products for safe disposal, providing for economic incentives for collection of electronic waste and other measures to include dedicated responsibility of electronic and electrical product manufacturers for collection and channelisation of e-waste, he said.

Rijiju said this on behalf of the Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar in response to questions as to whether it is a fact that leading producers of electronic and electrical equipments are shirking their responsibilities provided under the e-waste (management and handling) rules, 2011.
The Minister said the Environment Ministry, after reviewing the implementation of the earlier rules, has undertaken the task of revising the rules and revamp them including that of responsibilities of producers.
He said that after the new rules come into force, the "absolute responsibility" will be on producers not only on generation or use but all its aspects including safe disposal.

Elaborating the "absolute responsibility concept", Rijiju said no producer will now be able to evade responsibility of the generation of any electronic, chemical or hazardous substances and will have to take "vicarious liability".

Taking note of members raising concern over report of a Delhi-based organization, Toxic Link, titled "Time to Reboot", the minister said that as per the report 18 producers fall under the red category indicating unsatisfactory performance with respect to their responsibility under EPR under e-waste rules 2011.
He also said that there was a difference between the concepts of the western world and India relating to toxic waste release here.

Citing a UN report that said India was the fifth biggest producer of e-waste in the world, discarding 1.7 million tonnes (Mt) of electronic and electrical equipment in 2014, Rijiju said,"we do not agreee with that" and cited a report by an Indian organisation which pegged electronic and electric waste generated in India in 2009 at 4.34 lakh metric tonnes.
Dola Sen (TMC) also raised the issue Swachh Bharat cess, saying the Central government must support the state government's efforts instead of cutting funds to it.
She cited the example of West Bengal where the state government had initiated a campaign to stop open defecation and said the "Centre must support the successful efforts of the state governments".