India’s Growing E-Waste Problem

India is now the fifth-largest generator of e-waste in the world, after the USA, China, Japan and Germany. Yet, less than two per cent of the e-waste generated in the country is formally recycled. Since 2018, India has been generating more than two million tonnes of e-waste every year. The country also receives substantial quantities of e-waste from other parts of the world, adding further pressure to an already overburdened waste-management system.

For many Indian cities, the sight of discarded computers, mobile phones, wires, cables and other electronic equipment lying in open dumpsites is hardly unusual. What is less visible, however, is the damage taking place beneath the surface. Toxic substances released from e-waste can contaminate soil and groundwater and pose serious risks to human health and the environment.

A study by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) and KPMG, Electronic Waste Management in India, found that computer equipment accounts for nearly 70 per cent of India's e-waste. Telecommunication equipment and mobile phones contribute about 12 per cent, electrical equipment 8 per cent and medical equipment 7 per cent, with the remainder coming from household

electronic waste.

The informal sector: an invisible workforce

The collection, transportation, dismantling and recycling of e-waste in India is largely dominated by the informal sector. This vast network is well established but remains largely unregulated. Workers recover valuable materials such as copper, gold and reusable components from discarded devices. However, they often do so under hazardous conditions and without adequate safety measures.

The informal recycling process also has wider environmental consequences. Valuable materials that could potentially be recovered are lost, while toxic substances may escape into the surrounding environment. Workers themselves face serious risks to their health and safety, particularly when dismantling electronic equipment without protective gear or appropriate facilities.

Seelampur in Delhi, one of India's largest informal e-waste dismantling centres, provides a stark example. Adults, as well as children, have traditionally spent 8–10 hours a day dismantling electronic devices and recovering valuable metals and components. The scale of such activity highlights the dependence of the informal sector on e-waste as a source of livelihood.

The methods used can be extremely hazardous. Open burning is sometimes used to recover metals from wires and cables, while acids may be used to extract metals from electronic components. Such practices expose workers and nearby communities to toxic substances and harmful fumes.

Materials that have no immediate economic value are often discarded during the recycling process. Toxic chemicals can then seep through the soil and enter underground aquifers, degrading local groundwater. Over time, such contamination can make groundwater unsafe for drinking and unsuitable for agricultural use, affecting communities that depend on these water sources.

The problem does not end with groundwater. When e-waste is dumped in landfills, toxic elements such as lead, mercury, cadmium and arsenic, along with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), can accumulate in the soil. These substances can degrade soil quality and, in areas used for farming, potentially make agricultural land unsafe.

Recent studies have highlighted the seriousness of the problem in India's major metropolitan cities. Research published by Chakraborty and colleagues in 2018 and 2019 in the journal Science of the Total Environment found increasing concentrations of PCBs, dioxins and furans, plasticisers, bisphenol A (BPA), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metals in surface soils.

More on this subject will follow next week. Till then, have a great weekend!

(The writer is an environmentalist. Views personal.)