We are glad that the government raised allocation for electronics manufacturers to Rs 745 crore. However, we must not forget how multiple reports, last year, pointed towards the increasing problem of electronic waste (e-waste) in the country.
Along with the funds to encourage manufacturing of electronics, if the government could have introduced a nominal advance recycling fee for all electrical and electronic products, such a move could have covered the recycling cost of end-of-life products, thereby moving bulk of the nation’s e-waste to the formal recycling sector. We hope that such details will be covered in the fine print.
Similarly, Swachh Bharat continues to be our government’s focus. However, the initiative’s focus still stressed on sanitation and open defecation. The campaign has the potential to cover a wider scope. Therefore, under the same banner, if the government could take steps to educate the nation about the hazards of improper disposal of e-waste, the current situation of growing e-waste menace could easily be controlled.
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Rohan Gupta is the COO of Attero Recycling
 "Rohan Gupta, COO, Attero Recycling")
