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The first comprehensive study to estimate the annual generation of E-waste in India and answer the questions above is being undertaken up by the National WEEE Taskforce. The preliminary estimates suggest that total WEEE generation in India is approximately 1,46,000 tonne per year. The top states in order of highest contribution to WEEE include Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Delhi, Karnataka, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab. The city-wise ranking of largest WEEE generators is Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkatta, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Pune, Surat and Nagpur.

An estimated 30,000 computers become obsolete every year from the IT industry in Bangalore alone simply due to an extremely high obsolescence rate of 30 per cent per annum. Almost 50 per cent of the PCs sold in India are products from the secondary market and are re-assembled on old components. The remaining market share is covered by multinational manufacturers (30 per cent) and Indian brands (20 per cent). Three categories of WEEE account for almost 90 per cent of the generation - Large Household Appliances, (42 per cent), Information & Communications Technology Equipment, (34 per cent), Consumer Electronics, (14 per cent).

Over 2,000 trucks ferry E-waste in a clandestine manner and dump it in Delhi's scrap yards at various locations, particularly Turkman Gate, Shastri Park, Loni, Seelampur and Mandoli. This E-waste primarily comes from Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, and if Delhi were to protect itself from such hazardous waste, then it would have to bring an effective legislation to prevent entry of child labour into its collection, segregation and distribution. More than 6,000 children in the age group of 10 to 15 years are engaged in various E-waste activities without adequate protection and safeguards. They operate from various yards and recycling workshops. Three States that send waste to Delhi generate over 25,000 tonne of E-waste through various industrial activities. In a discreet arrangement with transporters, they dump around 50 per cent of it at different places in Delhi. E-waste imported into Mumbai, Chennai, and Bangalore usually makes its way to Delhi as there is a ready market for glass and plastic in the National Capital Region. In fact, waste from Mumbai constitutes a bulk of the 60 to 70 tones discarded electronics that land in Delhi's scrap yards everyday.

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Dr. Gursharan Singh Kainth started his career as Lecturer at Post Graduate Dept. of Economics, Government College, Gurdaspur, and later at Khalsa College; Amritsar, specializes in Quantitative & Development Economics. Has the distinction of serving Punjab Agricultural Univ, Ludhiana, for more than 2 decades and remained Director-Principal of Saint Soldier Management & Technical Institute, Jalandhar. Currently, heading GAD Institute of Development Studies, Amritsar, a self-financed research institute. Has been honoured with various awards, including Guru Draunacharya Samman, Vijay Rattan Award, etc.
Article posted on February 22, 2009.