Last year, a study conducted by Associated Chambers of Commerce and
Industry of India said Bengaluru is sitting on an ‘e-waste bomb’.

KSPCB issued a circular to government offices asking them to comply with
the E-Waste Management Rules, 2016, wherein bulk consumers have to
maintain records of e-waste generated by them and to dispose the same to
authorised collection centres.

Moving
forward, KSPCB will issue guidelines to manufacturers to set up e-waste
centres where individuals, organisation and others can drop old
electronic goods. 

Lakshman, KSPCB chairman, said the board will issue guidelines to all
manufacturers and recylers of e-waste from next month. “We are writing
letters to these centres asking them to shut if they do not have their
own recyling units attached.

This
means these units can’t trade e-waste to other agencies, but have to
make a facility to dispose and reuse if any. These centres will pay
money to customers who come to deposit e-waste,” said Lakshman. 

As KSPCB does not have authenticated data of e-waste generated in the
state, as per the direction of Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB),
KSPCB will conduct a survey on e-waste generated. This survey is
expected to help estimate the number of e-waste collection centres
required in the state.  

KSPCB will be fixing a rate for empanelled vendors to pick up medical
waste from hospitals and nursing homes. “It will be `4.5 per bed per
month,” Lakshman said.