Pollution Board’s Mobile Van is First Responsible Stride to E-Waste Management in Himachal
Himachal Pradesh State Pollution Control Board, in collaboration with Karo Sambhav, an organization enabling circular economy in India, has launched an E-Waste awareness and collection drive in the capital city, Shimla, from 3rd to 5th February 2024, and from 6th to 8th February 2024 in Solan.
How many phones, laptops, or gaming peripherals have you used and disposed of in your lifetime? A simple count will give you an idea of the components that have gone into their manufacturing and the extent of e-waste you have created at the end-of-life of these electronic products. Now put that into perspective of the entire human race.
E-waste is easily the most generated and potentially the most hazardous escalating threat to the planet and human health. Improving its effective collection and disposal system is easily the most vital way to prevent e-waste from harming the human race, the environment, and inflicting climate change.
Image: HPPCB
In India, according it MeitY, nodal Ministry for the electronic industry, about ninety-five percent of the e-waste is recycled by the nonformal sector and five percent of its volume is handled in formal units. The crucial need for responsible e-waste disposal and scientific recycling becomes imperative in the country as a whole, and in Himachal Pradesh specifically as Statista puts the state at number 17 amid Indian States collecting and processing e-waste presently.
Through the “E-Waste Warriors on Wheels” initiative, which will involve a mobile van driving through the city confines, Himachal intends to emphases on the importance of responsible e-waste disposal and scientific recycling. The drive-through key locations include New Shimla, Kasumpti, Panthaghati, Sanjauli, Dhalli, Chota Shimla, Navbahar, Khalini, Kanlog, Tuti Kandi, Totu, Summerhill, Boileauganj, and Jatough will create awareness against the escalating threats posed by improper e-waste management.
After the drive in Shimla between 3rd and 5th February, the mobile van will head to Solan, where it will journey around the Municipal Corporation Office, Chambaghat, Kandaghat, Kotlanala, Rabon, Deonghat, Dharampur, Kumarhatti, Darlaghat, Arki, and Kunihar from 6th to 8th February.
Per the received information, the drive is not just an educational campaign. The mobile van will collect e-waste in real-time, which will be directed to authorized recyclers for safe and scientific disposal.
