NGT Orders Committee to Examine Alleged Unscientific E-Waste Disposal in Bhopal

The National Green Tribunal's Central Zone Bench in Bhopal has ordered the constitution of a five-member committee to examine allegations of unscientific disposal and open burning of e-waste in the city. The order was passed on August 31, 2026, in an original application filed by Nitin Saxena. The tribunal has sought a factual and action-taken report within four weeks, with the matter next listed for hearing on October 1, 2026.

What Happened in the Bhopal E-Waste Case?

The case was originally filed before the NGT in Delhi and was transferred to the tribunal's Central Zone Bench in Bhopal for hearing. It came up before a bench of Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi and Expert Member Dr A Senthil Vel on August 31, 2026.

The application raised concerns about how electronic waste generated in Bhopal and other parts of Madhya Pradesh is being disposed of and processed. During the hearing, the tribunal also examined broader questions around the state's preparedness for handling hazardous and potentially radioactive material found in discarded medical equipment.

What Has the NGT Directed?

The tribunal directed the constitution of a five-member committee to look into the matter. According to the order, the committee includes representatives from:

• Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (Regional Office, Bhopal)
• Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)
• Madhya Pradesh Health Department
• Electrical and Electronics Department, Madhya Pradesh
• Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board (MPPCB)

The Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board has been named the nodal agency responsible for coordinating the committee's work. The committee has been asked to submit a factual and action-taken report to the tribunal within four weeks.

The NGT also issued notices to the Madhya Pradesh government, the Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board, the Bhopal Municipal Corporation, and other concerned departments, seeking their response. The matter will next come up for hearing on October 1, 2026.

What Are the Allegations About Bhopal's E-Waste Disposal?

According to the application, a substantial quantity of e-waste is generated daily in Bhopal, but only a limited share is scientifically processed and disposed of. The applicant claimed that the rest is handled through unauthorised scrap dealers and informal recycling units operating outside regulatory oversight.

Figures cited in connection with the case put Bhopal's annual e-waste generation at around 415 tonnes, with the application alleging that only about 10 percent of this is scientifically processed, and the remainder handled through roughly 250 unauthorised scrap units. These figures come from the application and material placed before the tribunal, and have not been independently verified as official government statistics. They should be read as allegations pending the committee's factual verification, not as an established finding.

The application also raised concerns specific to discarded medical equipment, such as X-ray machines, CT scanners and PET scanners, some of which may contain radioactive components. It contended that such equipment, if not handled correctly, could pose contamination and health risks if it ends up in the informal waste stream instead of being returned to manufacturers for safe disposal of radioactive material.

Why Improper E-Waste Handling Is a Concern

Electronic waste can contain a mix of recoverable materials and hazardous substances, including lead, mercury, cadmium and hexavalent chromium. When e-waste is dismantled or burned in an uncontrolled setting rather than processed at a registered facility, these substances can be released into the air, soil or water.

Workers handling e-waste without protective equipment or proper procedures face a higher risk of exposure to these substances. Communities living near informal dismantling or burning sites can also be affected, particularly through air and groundwater contamination over time. The specific severity of any impact in Bhopal has not been independently assessed in what is currently before the tribunal, and remains a matter the ordered committee is expected to examine.

Medical and diagnostic equipment adds another layer of complexity, since some devices used in radiology, such as certain X-ray, CT or PET scanning systems, may contain sealed radioactive sources or components. Handling this category of equipment outside authorised channels raises additional safety considerations beyond those associated with routine electronic waste like phones, computers or household appliances.

What Indian E-Waste Rules Require

E-waste management in India is currently governed by the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022, notified by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, which came into force on April 1, 2023, replacing the earlier 2016 rules. The framework has since been updated through subsequent amendments, including changes notified in 2023 and 2024.

The rules operate on an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) model, under which producers, meaning manufacturers, brand owners and importers of covered electrical and electronic equipment, are required to meet annual recycling targets by routing end-of-life products through registered recyclers and dismantlers. Compliance is tracked through a central EPR portal maintained by the CPCB, and covered equipment must meet restrictions on hazardous substances such as lead, mercury, cadmium and hexavalent chromium.

Bulk consumers, including government and public institutions, are required to channel their e-waste to registered recyclers or refurbishers rather than informal scrap dealers. State Pollution Control Boards, including MPPCB in this case, are responsible for monitoring compliance and enforcement within their jurisdiction alongside the CPCB at the national level.

What Happens Next in the Bhopal Case?

The five-member committee is expected to examine the allegations, verify the factual position, and prepare a report for the tribunal within the four-week window set by the order. This report is expected to address the scale of unauthorised e-waste handling in Bhopal, the status of registered processing capacity, and the state's preparedness for handling hazardous material such as radioactive components in discarded medical equipment.

The matter is scheduled for further hearing on October 1, 2026, when the tribunal is expected to consider the committee's findings. The outcome of that hearing, and any directions that may follow, cannot be predicted at this stage.

Why Scientific E-Waste Management Matters

Routing e-waste through authorised channels, from collection through transportation to final processing, is intended to ensure that hazardous components are handled by facilities equipped to manage them safely, rather than by informal operators using manual dismantling or open burning.

Formal recycling and dismantling facilities are also positioned to recover valuable materials such as copper, aluminium and precious metals in a controlled setting, supporting resource recovery rather than simply discarding functional materials alongside hazardous ones. This is the underlying rationale for India's EPR-based framework, which places responsibility on producers to ensure their products are processed through registered channels once discarded.

For categories like medical and diagnostic equipment, authorised handling also means that any radioactive or sensitive components can be identified and returned to manufacturers or specialised facilities, rather than entering the general waste stream where such risks are harder to detect and manage.

Key Takeaways

• The NGT's Central Zone Bench in Bhopal ordered a five-member committee on August 31, 2026, to examine allegations of unscientific e-waste disposal and open burning in the city.
• The committee includes representatives from the MoEFCC regional office, CPCB, the Madhya Pradesh Health Department, the state's Electrical and Electronics Department, and MPPCB.
• MPPCB has been named the nodal agency for coordinating the committee's work.
• The committee must submit a factual and action-taken report within four weeks of the order.
• Notices have been issued to the Madhya Pradesh government, MPPCB, the Bhopal Municipal Corporation and other concerned departments.
• The matter is next listed for hearing on October 1, 2026, and allegations in the application remain unverified pending the committee's report.

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