E-Waste regulation- a wasted mandate

BANGALORE, INDIA: Overseas organizations such as GTZ and Greenpeace must be credited for at least creating hype in the Indian sub-continent. India's hardware industry body MAIT (Manufacturers' Association of Information Technology), albeit, is indolent.

Thankfully, e-Waste (Management and Handling) rules have been in force since May 1, 2012. Now to plunk an old mobile device, electronic gadget, PCB or PC in nearby garbage or to sell them to local scrap dealer would be an offense.

India generates more than 400,000-ton e-Waste annually. But who cares? Despite close to 100 authorized recyclers, 98 per cent of the e-Waste sector is still unorganized, and despite law, IT vendors are unfazed.

The India arms of the companies based out of West part of the globe, have now vowed for the cause. But the vendors such as Asus, BenQ and Toshiba have no clear roadmap. The irony is that vendors, including Micromax have a dismal commitment for the country they belong to and operate in.

Speaking to CIOL, MAIT president Alok Bharadwaj blames creation of state-level pollution control boards for the mess. Instead he said, "The essence is vital and the IT industry has been supportive for e-Waste regulation."

Industry, he said, is global in nature; though vendors continue to sell products in smaller cities. Therefore, Bharadwaj feels that it is in fact relevant to have a national-level body, rather than the creation of State Pollution Control Boards.

MAIT slams regional boards, and said that they create challenges, and inspection and certification, is not relevant. Bharadwaj believes that control and compliance, is creating discomfort in the industry.

"Internal compliance should be strong and the focus on collection, refurbishment and reuse should be reinforced," he added. There should be an evolution of the green channel concept and adherence to e-Waste conformity should be the essence, MAIT stressed.