Hawk Eye On 22 Spots Over E-Waste Burning

New Delhi: After the Supreme Court directed the Commission for Air Quality Management last Dec to manage e-waste burning, the state environment department informed the commission that 22 hotspots for e-waste processing and disposal have been identified.
Delhi Pollution Control Committee, along with urban local bodies and DSIIDC, is preparing an inventory of burning and dumping of e-waste at these hotspots.A special enforcement campaign will be conducted in these places. In an order on Dec 13, 2023, the apex court asked CAQM to consider the issue of e-waste burning and how to implement measures so as not aggravate the situation in winter. Following the order, CAQM directed the state govts in the region in Jan to finalise a detailed action plan.
The identified e-waste hotspots are Seelampur, Jafrabad, Shastri Park, Mandoli, Brijpuri, Mustafabad, Yamuna Vihar, Bhajanpura, Saboli, Kantinagar, Seemapuri, Karkardooma, Mundka, Turkman Gate, Daryaganj, Jhimil, Okhla, Jahangirpuri, Mayapuri, Jaitpuri and the Delhi border areas with Ghaziabad-Loni and Behta Hajipuri. Of the hotspots, 11 are in North-East district and three in East Delhi.
"We have an action plan to deal with e-waste," said an environment officer. "After an inventory of dumping and burning sites at the places is prepared, we will also create hotspot-specific e-waste burning mitigation plans." The official added that the e-waste hotspot plan would also ensure that e-waste was segregated and channelled to registered recyclers.
TOI reported in July that Delhi was one of the significant hubs of e-waste, contributing 9.5% to the country's total e-waste of around 2.3 lakh tonnes. Since 95% of the e-waste was handled in the informal sector in the city, causing health and environmental issues, the country's first e-waste eco-park has been proposed at Holambi Kalan in Narela.
In a review meeting with CAQM on Oct 4, the environment department informed the commission that MCD had constituted 517 surveillance teams comprising 1,119 personnel to check the open burning of garbage under its jurisdiction. "MCD will ensure the same enforcement mechanism as mandated for open burning of garbage under its jurisdiction in the identified 22 hotspots of e-waste as well," said the report of the review meeting.
"MCD also launched an application, https://ewaste.mcdservices.online, for submitting online requests by the citizens for the disposal of e-waste. Citizens could raise requests on this portal, and the vendor will collect e-waste from their doorsteps as per approved rates of e-waste," an official said.