Importing a crisis

A sizeable chunk of ewaste enters the country in the garb of charity. That could be curbed if the Centre’s draft e-waste (management & handling) rules come into force in its present form.

But, there are a couple of hiccups: one, Union ministry of commerce and industry is allegedly trying to get the crucial clause dropped; and two, where is the infrastructure to enforce the rules? “The e-waste rules have specific provisions to restrict import of e-waste in the name of charity, a major channel through which considerable amounts of e-waste come from western nations,” said Abhishek Pratap, toxic campaigner at Greenpeace India. In spite of India having ratified the Basel Convention in 1990, e-waste from developed world continues to find its way into India through various channels.

The process got a fillip after China banned its import in 2002, with India emerging as one of the largest e-waste dumping grounds in the world.

Environmental researchers trace the issue back to a commerce ministry circular released in 1994. That was when computer hardware prices were high. The circular approved the import of second-hand computers to give a push to technical inclusion in rural areas. Later, computer prices crashed, so there was no need for import of second-hand ones. Yet, the circular remains in force. It has become an easy route for the import of e-waste under the guise of charity. Community information centres and adult education centres run by the government and NGOs continue to import obsolete electronics through this route, says Pratap.

Since 2000, the circular has been a bone of contention between the environment and commerce ministries.

The environment ministry apparently has an upper hand as the Directorate General of Foreign Trade last week issued directives to restrict the movement of obsolete electronics. The directorate has also planned to verify used electronic imports on a case-by-case basis.

“If e-waste is imported by declaring it as scrap, importers and exporters will have to get the consent of MoEF for the transaction. On the other hand, if e-waste comes as charity or donation, it has no legal issues. Such products are used for a few months before they turn into trash,” said Pratap.

A national e-waste assessment conducted by MAIT, the apex body representing the interest of IT hardware industry, revealed that while India generated 3,30,000 MT of ewaste on an annual basis, about 50,000 MT were being illegally imported to India.