Image Suggestions:

https://unsplash.com/photos/pqIRqzMTVlo

https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1498582750569-89914abe05e4?ixlib=rb-
1.2.1&ixid=eyJhcHBfaWQiOjEyMDd9&auto=format&fit=crop&w=500&q=60

https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1487816354051-4904bb407ffa?ixlib=rb-
1.2.1&ixid=eyJhcHBfaWQiOjEyMDd9&auto=format&fit=crop&w=500&q=60

Tag Suggestions:

e-waste, Delhi, waste management, pollution, India, production, industries, gadgets, dumping.

The E-Waste Story in India

The process of industrialization is at its best today. With the rapid growth of industries and
factories, there has been a growth in the production of electronic wastes also. The industries
that are the primary reason behind our modernization not only have advantages but have
several disadvantages as well. The world today is producing approximately 50 million tones of
electronic and electric waste per year that is quite more than it used to before.

The Indian E-Waste Story:

According to recent studies, India is one of the biggest producers of these e-wastes. It
generates more than two million tonnes of e-waste per year as claimed by the Global E-waster
Monitor of 2017. Not only this, India ranks 5th among the largest E-waste producing countries of
the world. Although many small steps have been taken in the past and are also being taken in
the present time, it is not of much use.

Seelampur, a place in the outskirts of Delhi is the largest e-waste dismantling market in India.
There are piles and tones of e-waste dumped in this area every day. To extract metals such as
copper, tin, silver from the e-waste some processes are used that in turn lead to air pollution.

The poor waste management system:

Considering the poor waste management in India, most of the e-waste is not even recycled
properly. There is an estimated data that around 95% of these e-wastes are processed by the
informal workers commonly known as ”Kabadiwalas” in India.

The air pollution of Delhi is known to the world. This is also largely due to improper handling of
e-wastes. The people are compelled to live in the smoke-filled filthy environment which further
invites a number of diseases. Even after the introduction of e-waste management legislation in
2016, not much has changed. In Central Pollution Board had projected in 2005 that by 2010, the
e-waste production in India will reduce to 0.8 million tonnes per year. But no such projection
was ever implemented.

Importing Trouble from Other Countries:

There was already enough e-waste in our country. What added to the already critical situation is
the illegal import of e-wastes in India. There was an import of around 50,000 tonnes of e-waste
in the year 2007. According to the 2015 report by the UN Environment Programme, China,
Malaysia, and Pakistan are the major countries for heavy importations of hazardous e-waste.

Before the situation becomes even worse and it becomes difficult for us to survive here, it is
important to sincerely look into the matter. We, as citizens, need to take all the needful steps
that we could to reduce the accumulation of e-waste in our country.