Haryana to notify e-waste policy, proposes ₹1 crore in subsidies
GURUGRAM: The Haryana government is set to notify a state-wide policy on electronic waste management following orders from the National Green Tribunal (NGT) instructing all states to review their existing framework for the same. The draft policy, which has been released for public feedback, outlines responsibilities for various stakeholders, including consumers, recyclers and state bodies, and proposes subsidies between ₹30 lakh and ₹1 crore for recyclers, collectors and dismantlers of e-waste.
The Haryana e-waste Management Policy 2019 (Draft Framework) describes itself as a “parallel environmentally sustainable initiative and intervention” to manage e-waste that will be generated as a result of the state’s concerted efforts to boost growth in the IT sector. After 2015’s Haryana Enterprise Promotion Policy, the state has also notified the Haryana IT ESDM Policy and the Haryana Cyber Security Policy in 2017.
“These policies are expected to yield economic gains in the IT industry, which will inevitably generate large amounts of electronic waste. The Centre’s E-waste Management Rules, 2016, are already in force, but we need to be prepared at a state level as well, as instructed by the NGT,” said Kuldeep Singh, regional officer, HSPCB Gurugram.
In 2017-18, the draft policy states, Haryana generated close to 6,000 metric tonnes of e-waste.
However, the HSPCB’S last available annual report on e-waste shows that between April 1, 2018 and March 1, 2019, Haryana generated at least 11,772 metric tonnes of e-waste, i.e. 981 metric tonnes per month. This number, HSPCB officials said, is likely to grow in the coming years.
The 2019 e-waste policy aims to bring the entire system of managing e-waste under regulatory monitoring and compliance, the official added.
To achieve high compliance, the HSPCB has proposed a subsidy of ₹1 crore for the first five e-waste recyclers who enrol themselves under the new policy (against a minimum capital investment of ₹5 crore). For e-waste collectors, the subsidy stands at ₹30 lakh (against a minimum capital investment of ₹1 crore).
Additional benefits include a 25% subsidy on lease rentals for companies enrolled under the new policy.