The Times of India 18.03.2013
Church, civic body tie-up to dispose e-waste in Kochi
KOCHI: The Kochi
corporation's move to solve the hazardous e-waste problem in the city
has got a shot in the arm, courtesy the church.
With the civic body cornered on dumping plastic waste at the Brahmapuram waste treatment plant, the accumulating e-waste in the city area had become a major headache for the local body.
The corporation has now teamed up with an NGO - the Kothamangalam Social Service Society (KSSS), the official social development wing of the Diocese of Kothamangalam - to remove e-waste from city limits. The NGO is, currently, holding talks with various churches in the city to finalize collection points. The new system will be launched on March 26. Fr Paul Choorathotty, the director of KSSS, said that the final list of churches participating in the programme would be finalized this week.
The civic body is hoping the system would help to dispose e-waste generated at homes and workplaces. This is how it works - citizens must take e-waste to collection facilities set up by churches located across 22 health circles of the Kochi corporation; special trucks have been arranged to collect the hazardous waste and transport it to recycling units or processing centres outside the state.
The initiative would bring down dumping of plastic and other hazardous substances at the Brahmapuram solid waste treatment plant. Health standing committee chairman T K Asharaf said the initiative was important for Kochi which was quickly turning into an IT hub. Many electronic equipment used by the industry contains harmful substances such as mercury, and the corporation cannot afford to continue dumping such substances along with other plastic waste. "Special licence is required to handle e-waste and other such hazardous substances. The corporation with the help of the NGO has identified private agencies which have these licenses. The waste will then be taken to other states that have e-waste recycling units," he said. Since NGO is funding the whole programme, the corporation will not have any financial liability or commitments. The waste will be collected from the people free of cost.
The NGO has already experimented with a similar programme in association with the Thodupuzha municipality, and is set to launch the project in Muvattupuzha municipality on March 23. "In both places, we have the support of local churches. This is a sustainable programme and it can become successful with the cooperation of people, institutions and local bodies in the particular area," said Fr Choorathotty.
According to a report published by the Kerala Pollution Control Board (PCB) in 2010, the amount of e-waste generated in Kerala could come to 1,50,000 tonne per year if five kg of e-waste is generated per person per year. Despite this, the state does not have a e-waste treatment and disposal facility. The report had stated that to construct an e-waste treatment and disposal centre in the state would cost about Rs 10 crore.
Better than the rest
* The e-waste disposal system, proposed by the Kochi corporation and the Kothamangalam Social Service Society (KSSS), an NGO, is said to be the first time in the state. Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur, Kollam and Kozhikode corporations have stated that they don't have a system for the safe disposal of e-waste
* This is how the system works - citizens must take e-waste to collection facilities set up by churches located across 22 health circles of the Kochi corporation; special trucks have been arranged to collect the hazardous waste and transport it to recycling units or processing centres outside the state
* The initiative would bring down dumping of plastic and other hazardous substances at the Brahmapuram solid waste treatment plant
* KSSS has already experimented with a similar programme in association with the Thodupuzha municipality, and is set to launch the project in Muvattupuzha municipality on March 23
* According to a report published by the Kerala Pollution Control Board (PCB) in 2010, the amount of e-waste generated in Kerala could come to 1,50,000 tonne per year if five kg of e-waste is generated per person per year.
With the civic body cornered on dumping plastic waste at the Brahmapuram waste treatment plant, the accumulating e-waste in the city area had become a major headache for the local body.
The corporation has now teamed up with an NGO - the Kothamangalam Social Service Society (KSSS), the official social development wing of the Diocese of Kothamangalam - to remove e-waste from city limits. The NGO is, currently, holding talks with various churches in the city to finalize collection points. The new system will be launched on March 26. Fr Paul Choorathotty, the director of KSSS, said that the final list of churches participating in the programme would be finalized this week.
The civic body is hoping the system would help to dispose e-waste generated at homes and workplaces. This is how it works - citizens must take e-waste to collection facilities set up by churches located across 22 health circles of the Kochi corporation; special trucks have been arranged to collect the hazardous waste and transport it to recycling units or processing centres outside the state.
The initiative would bring down dumping of plastic and other hazardous substances at the Brahmapuram solid waste treatment plant. Health standing committee chairman T K Asharaf said the initiative was important for Kochi which was quickly turning into an IT hub. Many electronic equipment used by the industry contains harmful substances such as mercury, and the corporation cannot afford to continue dumping such substances along with other plastic waste. "Special licence is required to handle e-waste and other such hazardous substances. The corporation with the help of the NGO has identified private agencies which have these licenses. The waste will then be taken to other states that have e-waste recycling units," he said. Since NGO is funding the whole programme, the corporation will not have any financial liability or commitments. The waste will be collected from the people free of cost.
The NGO has already experimented with a similar programme in association with the Thodupuzha municipality, and is set to launch the project in Muvattupuzha municipality on March 23. "In both places, we have the support of local churches. This is a sustainable programme and it can become successful with the cooperation of people, institutions and local bodies in the particular area," said Fr Choorathotty.
According to a report published by the Kerala Pollution Control Board (PCB) in 2010, the amount of e-waste generated in Kerala could come to 1,50,000 tonne per year if five kg of e-waste is generated per person per year. Despite this, the state does not have a e-waste treatment and disposal facility. The report had stated that to construct an e-waste treatment and disposal centre in the state would cost about Rs 10 crore.
Better than the rest
* The e-waste disposal system, proposed by the Kochi corporation and the Kothamangalam Social Service Society (KSSS), an NGO, is said to be the first time in the state. Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur, Kollam and Kozhikode corporations have stated that they don't have a system for the safe disposal of e-waste
* This is how the system works - citizens must take e-waste to collection facilities set up by churches located across 22 health circles of the Kochi corporation; special trucks have been arranged to collect the hazardous waste and transport it to recycling units or processing centres outside the state
* The initiative would bring down dumping of plastic and other hazardous substances at the Brahmapuram solid waste treatment plant
* KSSS has already experimented with a similar programme in association with the Thodupuzha municipality, and is set to launch the project in Muvattupuzha municipality on March 23
* According to a report published by the Kerala Pollution Control Board (PCB) in 2010, the amount of e-waste generated in Kerala could come to 1,50,000 tonne per year if five kg of e-waste is generated per person per year.
