New Delhi, July 24 (UNI) The Government data on electronic waste (e-waste) processing for the last two years has revealed that several states showed marked improvement in their e-waste recycling capabilities. Uttar Pradesh emerged as the frontrunner, registering a sharp increase from 236,727.041 metric tonnes (mt) to 388,160.231 mt, the highest in the country.
As per the CPCB data made available in the Rajya Sabha by the Government today, Haryana also posted impressive growth, from 110,061.696 mt to 149,653.641 mt. Telangana’s output almost doubled, jumping from 65,226.787 mt to 119,187.979 mt while Maharashtra, a consistent performer in waste management, increased its numbers from 40,664.231 mt to 52,597.803 mt.
Kerala more than doubled its processing, rising from 5,242.860 mt to 10,079.632 mt. Madhya Pradesh also demonstrated a strong upward trend, increasing from 5,914.660 mt to 13,014.042 mt.
Punjab, despite a low starting base of 65.493 mt, jumped to 2,972.086 mt, showing potential growth. Several major states recorded a decline in e-waste processing volumes between 2023–24 and 2024–25. Gujarat, a key industrial hub, saw its numbers fall from 95,776.688 mt to 76,879.919 mt, while Chhattisgarh witnessed a steep drop from 7,370.845 mt to 3,500.917 mt.
Tamil Nadu also reported a reduction, declining from 23,203.636 mt to 16,360.815 mt. Rajasthan saw a minor dip from 24,279.505 mt to 21,345.480 mt, and Karnataka dropped from 20,910.603 mt to 16,151.766 mt. Uttarakhand and West Bengal too posted declines.
Uttarakhand reported fall in e-waste processing from 134,255.106 mt to 113,562.255 mt, and West Bengal from 6,302.319 mt to 4,559.529 mt. Notably, Andhra Pradesh recorded a significant drop from 768.715 mt to just 148.969 mt in the current fiscal.
Some states continued to report no or negligible e-waste processing activity. Assam remained absent from the e-waste landscape, reporting nil figures for both years. Bihar too processed zero in 2023–24 and a meager 6 mt in 2024–25, while Jharkhand showed no activity in 2023–24 and reported only 129.1435 mt in the following year. These figures indicate a pressing need for developing or activating formal e-waste recycling infrastructure in these States.
Under the E-waste Management Rules, 2022, there is no provision for allocation of funds for the manufacturing and maintenance of these processing units, said Union Minister of State for Environment Kirti Vardhan Singh in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha.
The Ministry’s data highlights the need for uniform scaling of e-waste infrastructure across states and underscores the importance of efficient collection, transportation, and recycling systems to manage India’s rapidly growing electronic waste burden, said an official from the Ministry.
