NEW DELHI: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to submit an updated report concerning the generation and management of electronic waste across various states and Union Territories (UTs).
In its recent hearing, the bench led by Justice Prakash Shrivastava, Chairperson, Sudhir Agarwal, and Dr. A. Senthil Vel (Expert members), also highlighted the need for the CPCB to outline specific actions that will be taken against states and Union Territories failing to comply with the E-Waste (Management) Rules.
The NGT noted that this issue was highlighted in an ongoing case originally filed in 2018 by environmental activist Shailesh Singh.
In its report dated August 30, the CPCB while detailing the compliance status of various State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) said that while 25 of the 36 SPCBs had conducted inventory exercises for electronic waste, significant gaps persisted.
Notably, five states, including Goa, Jharkhand, and Uttar Pradesh, had yet to begin their inventory exercises despite the pressing need to address the growing challenge of e-waste generation.
It also noted lapses in environmental compensation enforcement, unauthorized e-waste processing, and gaps in public awareness. It directed CPCB to submit a fresh report within 6 weeks and scheduled next hearing on December 12.