25 January,2016 08:57 AM IST | | Ranjeet Jadhav
While the issue of disposal of e-waste is a major problem, the Save Aarey community along with an NGO, from this Republic Day, would start an initiative through which the people will no longer have to throw e-waste
While the issue of disposal of e-waste is a major problem, the Save Aarey community along with an NGO, from this Republic Day, would start an initiative through which the people will no longer have to throw e-waste. Collection centers would be formed area wise and volunteers would visit households to collect the e-waste. The e-waste that is repairable would be repaired and given to the needy and the one that is not repairable would be disposed.
Speaking to mid-day, Manish Gadia from Save Aarey community, said, "The issue of proper disposal of e-waste is a big problem and in order to solve this problem we have decided to start a campaign from this Republic Day, which will focus on collection and proper disposal of e-waste. Mumbai generates high amount of e-waste and over 60% Mumbaikars not aware of e-waste hazards. E-waste category has the highest growth rate amongst all waste, and is probably amongst the most neglected and dangerous. Through our campaign we want to create awareness and also highlight the fact that proper disposal of the e-waste is a must."
As a part of the campaign, members from Save Aarey group and NGO GreenCiti will not only spread awareness about e-waste, but would also help the various societies in the city to set up e-waste collection depots from where the e-waste would be collected. The e-waste that would be collected will be sorted as per the categories in which it falls and will be used.
In order to collect as much as e-waste as they can, Save Aarey group along with NGO GreenCiti are taking help of social networking sites including Facebook and Twitter.
The e-waste initiative will support the Swachh Bharat initiative that was started by the Narendra Modi-led NDA government. The Save Aarey group, from last year, has been conducting various campaigns. In the last one year, they have held six cleanliness drives in Aarey with help of over 100 volunteers.
It should be noted that many NGOs working in the field of e-waste have a capacity of picking up e-waste of minimum 100 kg and not less than that. But, the NGO that would be doing the work along with Save Aarey group would collect e-waste as minimum as even 1 kg and incase there is 100 kg e-waste, the company would pick it up in a week's time.
"Our NGO GreenCiti has been working in the field of waste management since more than five years and we are specialized in e-waste management. Along with Save Aarey community, we would be starting an e-waste collection initiative from Republic Day. Our main aim will also be to create awareness about e-waste and we would also collect the same from the people. As a part of our initiative, we would also be doing segregation of working and non-working e-waste. The electronic equipments, which are in working condition, will be kept on one side and we will later distribute the same to the needy people. The ones that are not in working conditions will be recycled as per norms set by the government," informed A K Mishra, Director of GreenCiti.
E-waste management plant
In order to also solve the issue of e-waste that is generated, MMRDA has plans to set up an e-waste management plant on a 4-hectare plot in Taloja. In 2014, the contract was also awarded to a company, but the same was later cancelled as the company was blacklisted by few municipal corporations.
E-waste facts
On an average, Mumbai generates 11,000 metric tones of e-waste on a yearly basis.
Every year, a rise of 3-4 per cent has been witnessed as far as e-waste is concerned
