Wayanad sets November 1 deadline to become India's first e-waste-free district
Keralam minister T Siddique on Friday said a comprehensive initiative was under way to make Wayanad India’s first district free of electronic waste by November 1, the state’s formation day. Speaking at a Gandhi Jayanti event, he said the first phase of the drive had already begun.
Siddique said the initiative was aimed at protecting the environment and public health from hazardous substances such as mercury, lead and cadmium found in improperly discarded electronic waste. He also launched the district-level rollout of the five-year ‘Nirmalam’ waste management campaign, which aims to make the state completely clean by March 30, 2031, observed as Zero Waste Day.
As part of the first phase of the e-waste drive, 31 tonnes of electronic waste were collected from government offices across Wayanad between September 28 and 30, Siddique said. Of this, 12 tonnes came from Kalpetta, 12 tonnes from Sultan Bathery, five tonnes from Mananthavady and two tonnes from Panamaram.
According to the minister, the collected waste was handed over to the Clean Keralam Company with the support of the district administration, local self-government institutions and the Suchitwa Mission. He said the second phase would cover households, private institutions, commercial establishments and residents’ associations, with support from local bodies, government agencies and welfare organisations.
Siddique said a fixed amount would be paid for the collected e-waste, which would be segregated into around 50 categories before being handed over to the Clean Keralam Company for final disposal. District Collector V Chelsasini also released a poster detailing precautions for government institutions and local self-government bodies while handling e-waste.
During the programme, Siddique presented certificates and shawls to 56 contingent employees working in various offices at the Collectorate in recognition of their contributions.
Appreciation certificates were also given to officials of 184 government institutions that took part in the e-waste collection drive. The minister said the ‘Nirmalam’ campaign sought to make Keralam a model state in waste management, and assured Wayanad’s full participation and support for the statewide cleanliness drive.- Ends
