Following the footsteps of major cities in the country, Kochi too is marching ahead in its quest to curb the e-waste menace. The Confederation of Real Estate Developers Associations of India (CREDAI), the participating agency for the integrated environment awareness programme organised by the Kochi Corporation, has come up with an e-waste management project. The major aim of the project is to sort waste at source and recycle metals and electronic waste that will help to create a greener and cleaner environment. If implemented, it will be the first of its kind in Kerala.
The proposal submitted by CREDAI is at present under the consideration of the Town Planning Standing Committee of the Kochi Corporation. According to a top Corporation official, the proposal after obtaining the clearance from the standing committee will be presented at the next Corporation Council meeting.
As per the proposal submitted by CREDAI, the Corporation is facing problems in the handling and disposal of e-waste, electrical rejections, batteries and rejections coming under hazardous categories.
The agency has identified a private company with a good track record of handling e-waste effectively and has reached an agreement for the collection and disposal of the materials that fall in the e-waste category.
As per the agreement, the company will collect and store the materials under the supervision of CREDAI. The company will pay those who handover the recyclable materials. The materials will be later shifted to the central storehouse of the company at Kanjikode in Palakkad district.
It is also learnt that CREDAI has requested the Corporation to handover the vacant area near the plastic shredding unit at Ravipuram to set up a transit storage space for collection, sorting and storage of non-biodegradable materials. If the Corporation is willing to handover the land to CREDAI for a period of five years, the e-waste project will be a reality.
They have agreed to fund for the construction of temporary storage shed as required by CREDAI Clean City Movement if Kochi Corporation allots the space for the shed to CREDAI for five years.
