In order to raise awareness about the importance of proper e-waste disposal and to encourage people to responsibly dispose of their electronic waste, the Himachal Pradesh State Pollution Control Board, in collaboration with M/s Shiwalik Waste Management Limited and M/s Inner Wheel Club of Shimla Midtown, is organizing a “State-wide E-Waste Collection-cum-Awareness drive” from 16th to 21st October 2023 to commemorate the occasion of World E-waste Day 2023 held on 14th October 2023. The State Board shall collect e-waste from each part of the city as well as our 11 regional offices shall open a kiosk at their office from 16th October 2023 to 21st October 2023.
Sh. Sanjay Gupta (IAS) Hon’ble Chairman, HP State Pollution Control Board has kicked-off the “e-waste collection drive” with the flag-off of a mobile van at 11.00 AM on 16th October 2023 at the head office of HP State Pollution Control Board that shall collect e-waste from various parts of the Shimla City as per the following date and route plan:
Date
Route/ Area covered
16th Oct, 23
Phase-III HPSPCB HQ, BCS, New Shimla, Khalini, DC Office, Shimla
(collection Kiosk shall be set up at DC Office Shimla)
17th Oct, 23
D.C. Office, Shimla (collection Kiosk shall be set up)
18th Oct, 23
H.P. Secretariat, Shimla (collection Kiosk shall be set up)
19th Oct, 23
Kanlog, Khalini, Chota Shimla, Sanjauli, Dhalli, Bhattakufur
20th Oct, 23
Panthaghati, Kasumpti, Vikasnagar, Mehli, Malyana
21st Oct, 23
Fagli, Tuti Kandi, Chakkar, Tutu – Tara Devi
The mobile van shall be stationed full day at DC Shimla on 17th October 2023 and full day at HP Secretariat, Chhota Shimla on 18th October 2023 and thereafter shall cover various parts of the Shimla City as per above plan. Letters have also been written to all heads of the departments of Shimla with the request to make their employee aware about the e-waste collection drive and deposit their e-waste to our mobile van.
In addition to above, the consumer/public may submit their e-waste in our 11 regional offices namely regional office Baddi, Bilaspur, Mandi, Shimla, Rampur, Parwanoo, Dharmashala, Una, Paonta Sahib, Kullu and Chamba during the period from 16th October 2023 to 21st October 2023. All offices shall open their kiosks at their respective offices and e-wastes can be deposited from 10 AM to 05 PM during 16th October 2023 to 21st October 2023. As a support price for e-wastes, an amount of Rs. 20/- for smart phone, Rs. 5/- per keypad phone, Laptop @ Rs. 120 and computer @ Rs. 150/- have been fixed. Further Rs. 15/- has been fixed for other types of e-wastes.
It is pertinent to note that E-waste is one of the fastest-growing waste streams in the world. As our reliance on electronic devices continues to increase, so does the amount of e-waste generated. E-waste includes any electronic and electric device that is no longer in use or has reached the end of its life cycle. The increase in e-waste poses a significant threat to the environment, mainly due to the toxic materials used in the devices such as lead, cadmium, mercury and brominated flame retardants, which can cause significant damage to the environment and human health if not disposed-off properly.
On the occasion, Chairman, HPSPCB flagged off the mobile van for other parts of the city and shared the details of e-waste collection drive with the press. He further said that media must raise awareness level of the people about the harmful effect of improper handling and disposal of e-waste and join the campaign of the State Board. He also thanked M/s Shiwalik Waste Management Limited and M/s Inner Wheel Club of Shimla Midtown for collaborating with the State Board.
Sh. Anil Joshi (IFS) Member Secretary HP State Pollution Control Board urged all consumers/citizen of Shimla to participate in the drive by depositing/donating e-waste to our mobile van and help us to save the environment. The collected e-waste shall be sent to the dismantlers/refurbishers/recyclers for scientific disposal of e-waste as unscientific and improper disposal may pose threat to human health and environment. By participating in this campaign, one can contribute to the safe and responsible disposal of e-waste, which is essential for a sustainable future.
