NGT concern over lack of e-waste recycling plants...

New Delhi: National Green Tribunal (NGT) has flagged serious gaps in e-waste management across the country, noting the uneven recycling infrastructure and weak inter-state tracking. It directed Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to file a comprehensive status report at least a week before the next hearing on May 21.The tribunal bench, headed by NGT chairperson Prakash Shirvastava, in an order dated Feb 12, pointed out that 17 states and UTs, including Delhi, do not have any e-waste recycling facility.The CPCB, in one of its action taken reports based on a previous tribunal order, outlined compliance on six issues, including the availability of recycling units, interstate transportation records, monitoring of the informal sector, and inventorisation under the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022. Delhi, despite being a major generator of electronic waste, has no registered recycler within the national capital territory and relies largely on agreements with recyclers outside Delhi, primarily in the NCR region. Delhi contributes 9.5% of the country's e-waste, which amounts to around 2.3 lakh metric tons. TNN