Mysuru: From next month (December), every third Sunday will be e-waste (electronic waste) collection day. Mysuru City Corporation (MCC), along with NGOs and volunteers till now were collecting e-waste on 17th of every month. 

For this purpose, over 800 Pourakarmikas who have undergone training in collection and disposal of e-waste will be deputed to collect the waste. Over 235 pushcarts and 165 auto tippers will collect e-waste.

According to MCC officers, third Sunday has been chosen for e-waste collection to ensure that the city residents will not face any inconvenience to handover e-waste to Pourakarmikas. A fixed day like 17th of every month was not workable as it might fall on a working day where people would be at work with their houses locked. Sunday means everyone will be at home and it will be helpful for all the city residents, officials said. 

E-waste is one of the fastest growing waste streams and India is the 5th largest generator of e-waste.  The system of e-waste collection in Mysuru was launched in city on Sept. 17 as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday.

The collection drive received good response as in the last three months over five tonnes of e-waste has been collected from households. Volunteers went on door-to-door campaign urging residents to hand over e-waste. The collected waste included batteries, computers, keyboards, mobile phones, obsolete electronic equipment, television sets, tube lights, chargers and printers. Pourakarmikas collect e-waste and dump the same at the premises of all nine MCC Zonal Offices. 

Later, the collected e-waste would be auctioned and sold and the funds generated from the auction would be used for ‘Green-Mysuru’ initiative. A couple of authorised recyclers have evinced keen interest in picking up and recycling of e-waste, MCC sources said. 

Pourakarmikas and NGO representatives have been trained on e-waste collection. They have been sensitised about handling hazardous elements like lead, mercury, cadmium etc. present in the e-waste. E-waste also has some rare earth elements that need to be extracted and recycled efficiently which can only be done in well-equipped facilities. 

There are nine zero waste units in the city with four to five nodal officers in-charge, apart from Assistant Commissioners and Environment Engineers. 

A Control Room has been set up with the following phone numbers: 0821-2440890 or Mob: 9449841195/96 and the public can call to inform about e-waste.