Hyderabad, March 4 (RAHNUMA): Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) Commissioner R.V. Karnan has directed officials to take necessary steps to ensure 100% collection of e-waste and bio-medical waste across Greater Hyderabad.
He categorically instructed that bio-medical waste must not, under any circumstances, be mixed with municipal solid waste, warning that violations of norms would invite strict action against those responsible.
The directions were issued at a stakeholder meeting convened at the GHMC Head Office as part of the ongoing 99-day action plan aimed at strengthening scientific waste management across GHMC, Malkajgiri Municipal Corporation (MMC) and CMC jurisdictions. The meeting was attended by e-waste recyclers, bio-medical waste treatment facility operators and CSR partners.
Addressing the gathering, Karnan said that no negligence in the collection and disposal of bio-medical waste would be tolerated and notices would be issued and stringent action initiated against registered firms failing to lift waste in accordance with prescribed regulations.
Karnan further stated that GHMC would coordinate with Assistant Medical Officers of Health (AMOHs) to ensure that hospitals and healthcare establishments comply with bio-medical waste management rules and user charge norms.
He called upon all stakeholders to cooperate in keeping the city clean and environmentally sustainable.
Earlier, MMC Commissioner T. Vinay Krishna Reddy elaborated on the e-waste collection framework. He said special collection centres would be established in each circle to encourage citizens to voluntarily deposit e-waste. In addition, ward-level collection drives would be conducted every Saturday and Sunday across 300 wards within the CURE limits.
He suggested that participating organisations collaborate with specific circles and wards and deploy representatives at collection points.
Companies were also encouraged to offer incentives such as coupons or direct payments to enhance public participation.
GHMC Additional Commissioner (sanitation) Ravi Kiran clarified that while GHMC would provide the necessary infrastructure for collection drives, including ward offices and designated centres, pricing, payments and incentives would be entirely determined by the participating firms without municipal intervention.
During the meeting, several organisations agreed to make direct payments through UPI or cash for collected e-waste, while others committed to distributing redeemable coupons under CSR initiatives. It was also proposed that retailers share information about households possessing e-waste to facilitate coordinated doorstep collection.
