Patna Municipal Corporation will buy e-waste from March
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Manish Kumar, Patna. With the increasing consumption of digital devices, the challenge of its environment-friendly disposal has also increased. The amount of e-waste in the capital is increasing by more than 10 percent every year. This problem is continuously increasing due to mobile phones, computers, batteries, chargers, TVs, printers and other electronic devices becoming damaged or unusable.
To ensure safe disposal and recycling of the increasing electronic waste in the city, Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) is going to start a new system for purchasing e-waste from March. For this, the process of agency selection is going on, which will be completed in February. E-waste will be purchased from door to door of city residents.
Patna Municipal Corporation will become the first municipal body in the state to purchase e-waste. E-waste mainly includes IT and communication equipment. When e-waste is given as scrap, it is not disposed of properly, which is adversely affecting both the environment and human health. There is a discussion going on regarding fixing the price of e-waste. In the first phase of the scheme, a public awareness campaign is being run by the Municipal Corporation.
Citizens should be able to get fair prices and be encouraged to safely dispose of unusable parts of electronic equipment. People are being given information about the disadvantages of e-waste, benefits of its recycling and the process of safe disposal. Under the awareness and collection initiative on e-waste, the agency selection and policy decision have been approved in the meeting of the powerful standing committee of the Municipal Corporation.
The proposal for agency selection was placed before the Empowered Standing Committee to make common citizens aware about e-waste, fix responsibility of brand owners and ensure proper system of collection and recycling. The Municipal Corporation Administration believes that the implementation of this scheme will promote safe disposal of e-waste in the city along with environmental protection.
141 e-waste collection centers across the state
At present, facilities for collection and disposal of e-waste have been provided through authorized centres. Bihar State Pollution Control Board (BSPCB) has identified 141 e-waste collection centers across the state, of which 61 are in Patna. Citizens can deposit e-waste here. For this, you can get information about e-waste collection point by visiting BSPCB website (bspcb.bihar.gov.in). According to available data, 41.07 million tonnes of e-waste was collected and disposed in Bihar in 2021-22.
Protection of environment and health through e-waste management
Municipal Corporation's solid waste management expert Arvind Kumar said that e-waste management protects the environment and human health, as it prevents the spread of hazardous elements like lead, mercury and cadmium in soil, water and air. Through this, recovery of precious metals like gold, silver, copper and other raw materials is possible. Recycling uses less energy than manufacturing new equipment and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
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