New Delhi, 31/12/2024: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has asked the Central Government to respond to concerns about the improper disposal and recycling of solar panels. The tribunal was looking into a petition from a farmer in Uttar Pradesh, who pointed out the absence of proper facilities for handling used solar panels.
In its December 23 order, an NGT panel led by Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and expert member A Senthil Vel mentioned that the petitioner raised concerns about the disposal of broken solar panels used under the Kusum Yojana for irrigation in his village since 2019. The farmer pointed out issues with managing these panels once they are no longer in use.
The petition mentioned that broken solar panels, which can’t be fixed, are often buried or sent to landfills because there aren’t proper disposal options. This harms the soil. The panels also have little scrap value since only materials like aluminium, copper, and glass are recycled, while others like polymers and silicon are thrown away. The panels contain harmful metals like lead and cadmium, which can leak into the soil and water, causing long-term damage to the environment.
The tribunal found major problems with following environmental laws, especially the E-Waste (Management) Rules. It included the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), and the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) as part of the case. The NGT has sent notices to the concerned parties and set the next hearing for February 10.
