The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham) has proposed a permanent ban on e-waste dumping in and around India’s capital New Delhi, especially from Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

Assocham hopes that the ban will help New Delhi maintain its cleanliness. The industry body is also looking at introducing a legislation to prevent child labour in collection, segregation and distribution of e-waste.

According to Assocham, more than 2,000 trucks transport e-waste illegally and deposit it at several scrap yards in Delhi, especially Turkmen Gate, Shastri Park, Luni, Seelampur and Mandoli.

Assocham president Sajjan Jindal estimates that the three states generate more than 25,000 tonnes of e-waste, with 50 per cent of this being dumped in Delhi. The e-waste transported to Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore mostly ends up in Delhi as there is a ready market for glass and plastic in the national capital. E-waste from Mumbai constitutes a large volume of the 60 to 70 tonnes of discarded electronics that reach Delhi’s scrap yards daily.
 
According to estimates, Delhi alone receives 25 per cent of the e-waste generated in the developed world. Delhi's e-waste has reached 15,000 metric tonnes per year against 10,000 to 12,000 metric tonnes per year in the previous years. E-waste has attained the dimension of an industry that employs nearly 30,000 workers in various scrap yards and unauthorised recycling units in the capital. Assocham has proposed that other states develop their own scrap yards in their respective cities. X 

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