After more than five years of negotiations, delegates from 64 countries reached broad consensus here Thursday on a new international agreement regulating the recycling of ships. They scheduled a final meeting Friday to approve and sign the pact.

The Ministry of Environment & Forests, Government of India, notified the Hazardous Waste (Management & Handling) Rules on July 28, 1989 under the provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, which was further amended in the year 2000 and 2003 and recently The Hazardous Wastes(Management,Handling and Transboundry Movement) Rules,2008 were notified for effective management of hazardous wast

The objective of these guidelines is to provide guidance for identification of various sources of waste electrical and electronic equipments (e-waste) and prescribed procedures for handling e-waste in an environmentally sound manner. These Guidelines are reference document for the management, handling and disposal of e-wastes.

The electrical and electronic waste (e-waste) is one of the fastest growing waste streams in the world. The increasing