They are imported in the name of charity, but end up becoming a health hazard rather than bridging the ‘digital divide’. Old computers, cell phones and television sets have silently made their way to Indian ports and Kochi has become the popular destination for ships carrying e-waste from western countries.

In late November, Customs and Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) officials got a tip-off about a vessel sailing towards Kochi port with e-waste. Five containers of photocopiers and four containers of old computers were seized. The consignment was addressed to three locations: Kolkata, Delhi and Rajasthan.

“The vessel came from Singapore, but it was originally loaded in the US,” reveals a DRI officer. “We have registered an FIR and a probe is on. Consignment of old electronic items come to Kochi at least once a month.”

According to DRI officials, used goods usually come from the ports of Dubai and Singapore. Chennai, Kochi and Kandla are the major destinations of ships carrying e-waste. The import and export of e-waste is banned in India but traders define the consignment in vague language and get away with it. As a result, lethal and hazardous chemicals like mercury and lead end up in our soil and water.

The importer, Shivam International, has challenged the seizure in Kochi, claiming that the equipments are in working condition. The DRI has filed a counter affidavit in the Kerala High Court, saying it has been found that only a portion of the imported items are in a usable condition. The affidavit adds that the company had imported e-waste to Chennai port six months ago. The investigation conducted by the DRI’s Chennai zonal unit has found that the items contained hazardous electronic waste.

“Companies cannot export e-waste to India and China because signatories of the Basel Convention are prohibited from such trading. So, they export it to a country that is not a signatory and then it comes to India indirectly,” reveals Abhishek Pratap, the campaign coordinator of Greenpeace International, which has carried out a number of studies on e-waste management in India.

“The e-waste is dumped in our backyard in the name of charity and to bridge the ‘digital divide’. A major chunk of the goods coming to India may not have life beyond one or two years. They end up at recycling yards,” says Pratap.

Authorised e-waste recycling facilities in India capture only 3 percent of the total generated, reveals a GTZ-MAIT study conducted in 2008. The rest makes its way to informal recycling yards in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. This is because businesses sell their discarded IT equipment to informal recyclers for quick money ignoring the hazardous implications it causes to health and environment.

Delhi and Mumbai have the biggest informal recycling yards. Around 80,000 people are employed in this business in east Delhi, which is one of the major recycling centers. “The disposal of e-waste should be the responsibility of the manufacturer,” says Pratap. But studies reveal that many major firms don’t take this responsibility. “We found that nine out of 20 top brands in the computer manufacturing industry - such as Apple, Sony, Panasonic and Philips - don’t have a service of taking back their old goods.”

The large quantity of e-waste coming to India indicates that the law is toothless. “Usually we impose a penalty and let the consignment go,” says a DRI officer. According to him, the legalities are complicated, and the traders often challenge the seizure by claiming that the import was for charity purpose. Besides, the officials can only monitor whatever comes through legal ports. The bulk of the e-waste comes through illegal ports, says Sanal Kumar, a Chennai-based environmental activist.

The UN estimates that some nearly 50 million tonnes of e-waste are generated worldwide each year, comprising more than 5 percent of all municipal solid waste. The latest figures reveal that 3.8 lakh tonnes of e-waste are generated annually in India, including 50,000 tonnes of imported e-waste. Experts warn that this is a conservative figure because the data includes only the e-waste produced from cell phones, computers and television sets. Other electronic goods such as refrigerators, air conditioners and washing machines are not listed in this study.

What is the fate of the seized e-waste? “If we get a green signal from the Customs, we will send the consignment back,” says a DRI officer. Their role is over once that is done. What happens to this hazardous waste remains unknown. It may come back from a different country, through a different port after a short period of time.