Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai has announced the development of an e-waste eco-park in Delhi which is going to be the first of its kind in the country.
Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai held a joint review meeting with the officials of the Environment Department and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee regarding the construction of an e-waste eco-park, an official statement said. Rai said India's first e-waste eco-park will be developed in Holambi Kalan in Delhi in an area of about 21 acres.
He said an 11-member steering committee has been formed and Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC) has been made its implementing agency. “In order to rapidly complete the development of the eco-park, the concerned agency has been asked to appoint a consultant as soon as possible. The park will be ready in about 23 months," Rai said.
Delhi produces over two lakh tonnes of e-waste every year, or about 9.5 percent of the total amount produced in India, and only five percent of the generated e-waste is properly recycled. "By 'e-waste eco park' we refer to the establishment of a place where this e-waste is dismantled, refurbished, recycled, and manufactured in a manner that is scientifically and environmentally sound," the minister said.
Gopal said the decision has been taken keeping in view that Delhi is the fifth-largest producer of e-waste in India, after Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal. "The development of this e-waste eco-park will drastically reduce the pollution caused by e-waste," he added.