Last year, a study conducted by Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India said Bengaluru is sitting on an ‘e-waste bomb’.

KSPCB issued a circular to government offices asking them to comply with the E-Waste Management Rules, 2016, wherein bulk consumers have to maintain records of e-waste generated by them and to dispose the same to authorised collection centres.

Moving forward, KSPCB will issue guidelines to manufacturers to set up e-waste centres where individuals, organisation and others can drop old electronic goods. 

Lakshman, KSPCB chairman, said the board will issue guidelines to all manufacturers and recylers of e-waste from next month. “We are writing letters to these centres asking them to shut if they do not have their own recyling units attached.

This means these units can’t trade e-waste to other agencies, but have to make a facility to dispose and reuse if any. These centres will pay money to customers who come to deposit e-waste,” said Lakshman. 

As KSPCB does not have authenticated data of e-waste generated in the state, as per the direction of Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), KSPCB will conduct a survey on e-waste generated. This survey is expected to help estimate the number of e-waste collection centres required in the state.  

KSPCB will be fixing a rate for empanelled vendors to pick up medical waste from hospitals and nursing homes. “It will be `4.5 per bed per month,” Lakshman said.