NEW DELHI, INDIA: According to third draft guidelines for environmentally sound management of electronic waste issued by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the inventory is expected to exceed 8,00,000 tonne by 2012.

While 10 states generate 70 percent of the total e-waste generated in the country, sixty-five cities in India generate more than 60 percent of the total e-waste, the draft revealed.

Among the 10 largest e-waste generated states, Maharashtra ranks first followed by Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Delhi, Karnataka, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab.

Among the top ten cities generating e-waste, Mumbai ranks first followed by Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Pune, Surat and Nagpur.

While there is no large-scale organised e-waste recycling facility in the country and the entire recycling exists in unorganised sector, there are two small e-waste dismantling facilities functioning in Chennai and Bangalore.

Ironically, in India, there are no specific environmental laws or guidelines on e-waste. None of the existing environmental laws have any direct reference to electronic waste or refer to its handling as hazardous in nature. However, several provisions of the laws may apply to various aspects of electronic wastes. Since e-waste or its residues fall under the category of 'hazardous' and non-hazardous waste, they are covered under the purview of The Hazardous Waste Management Rules, 2003.