E-waste collection drive in Meghalaya launched

Staff Correspondent

Shillong, May 8:  Karo Sambhav has launched an e-waste collection drive in Meghalaya along with awareness initiative among schools, bulk consumers, repair shops, aggregators and waste pickers. As per the e-waste Management Rules 2016, a producer selling their product in a certain State is also liable for collection of ‘end of life’ products, besides running awareness programme.

Similarly, bulk consumers (institutional users) are now mandated to dispose their e-waste responsibly through a complaint channel only. E-waste can now be disposed only through a producer driven collection mechanism. Bulk consumers are required to file E-waste return annually by June 30 informing the State Pollution Control Board about the kilograms of e-waste disposed.

This was stated by Pranshu Singhal, Founder of Karo Sambhav, a PRO (Producer Responsibility Organization) at a press conference at Shillong Press Club on Tuesday.

Through the school programme, Karo Sambhav has trained school eachers of 25 high schools. The programme consists of three phases divided over a period of 4 months.

Meanwhile, WR Kharkrang, the environmental engineer (e-waste) Meghalya Pollution Controll Board in course of his reply to querries on whether such an initiative is possible in the State, said, “Though nothing much has happened, but we have to make it possible,” said Kharkrang while exhorting on the public at large to co-operate with the agencies concerned for a better tomorrow.