Kiosks to ensure scientific disposal of domestic e-waste

SHIMLA: Three kiosks are being set up by the Himachal Pradesh State Pollution Control Board HPSCB to ensure scientific disposal of hazardous domestic waste like fused CFL bulbs expired medicines and pesticides cans

Updated At : 12:17 PM Jan 23, 2019 IST

Pratibha Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, January 22

Three kiosks are being set up by the Himachal Pradesh State Pollution Control Board (HPSCB) to ensure scientific disposal of hazardous domestic waste like fused CFL bulbs, expired medicines and pesticides cans.

The HPSCB and Urban Development Department have embarked on the mission of ensuring safe disposal of e-waste generated at home. “Three such kiosks have been set up at Nalagarh, Solan and Kangra so that awareness can be created about proper disposal of hazardous waste generated in every home,” said RK Pruthi, Member Secretary, HPSPCB.

This waste would include pesticide cans, used battery cells, fuse bulbs, broken thermometers, discarded parts of computers and phones. As of now all this hazardous waste is thrown into the dust bins along with other waste. The SPCB in a joint venture with the Urban Development Department intends setting up more of these kiosks all over the state.

The motive is to make the general public aware about segregation of such harmful waste which must be disposed of safely and separately. This is primarily the task of the HPSPCB but till now not much had been done so far. The setting up of the kiosks will also help keep the pristine environment free from such hazardous waste.

Each of these kiosks will have six dust bins so that each kind of waste can be disposed of separately. “The public will be educated about the harmful of effects about such waste and the need for ensuring its proper disposal,” said an official of the HPSPCB. Later this waste will be collected from all the kiosks and sent for disposal to the incinerator at Dhabota or Baddi.

The kiosk has already been inaugurated in Kangra while the one at Nalagarh will be started in February. Gradually, an effort will be made to have such kiosks in the maximum possible places, especially urban areas where large amount of such hazardous waste is generated.

Though the HPSPCB has made an effort to ensure scientific disposal of medical waste efforts with regard to domestic hazardous waste were missing. It will be emphasized that disposal of such waste can be dangerous if not segregated and disposed of properly. This waste can pose a threat to the safety of even junk collectors who rummage through domestic waste.