The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has sought response from the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) on a plea alleging rampant violation of e-waste management rules notified in 2011. “We find that the reply of Directorate General of Foreign Trade will be of great assistance to us particularly, as regards the electronic/electrical products imported to our country. We, therefore, expect its response in the present application,” a bench headed by Justice UD Salvi said.
The green panel directed DGFT to file its reply within a week and fixed the matter for hearing on April 28. The tribunal was hearing a plea by NGO Toxics link, filed through advocates Ritwick Dutta and Maneka Kaur, which claimed that tonnes of secondhand or used goods are being dumped in India’s ‘digital dumping grounds’. The NGO had sought direction to the DGFT to submit a report on the exact quantities of goods being dumped in the country under the Export Import Policy of India (2013-2014).
Quoting a 2011 Rajya Sabha report, which said that “India had been a destination for industrial wastes,” the plea had also sought information on how these used goods were being recycled and whether this was being done in an eco-friendly manner. Electronic waste is discarded electrical/electronic devices which includes scrapped PCs, electronic office equipment, entertainment device electronics, mobile phones, television sets, refrigerators etc. E-waste Rules, 2011 apply to every producer, consumer or bulk consumer involved in the manufacture, sale, purchase and processing of electrical and electronic equipment or components.