Wayanad (Keralam) | Keralam Minister T Siddique has said a comprehensive initiative is underway to make Wayanad India's first district free of electronic waste by November 1, the state's formation day.

He said this while speaking at a Gandhi Jayanti event here on Friday.

The state Agriculture minister said the first phase of the initiative had already begun.

The initiative aims to protect the environment and public health from hazardous substances such as mercury, lead and cadmium found in improperly discarded electronic waste, he said.

As part of the first phase, 31 tonnes of e-waste were collected from various government offices across the district between September 28 and 30, Siddique said.

Of this, 12 tonnes were collected from Kalpetta, 12 tonnes from Sultan Bathery, five tonnes from Mananthavady and two tonnes from Panamaram, he said.

According to the minister, the collected e-waste was handed over to the Clean Kerala Company with the support of the district administration, local self-government institutions and the Suchitwa Mission.

During the programme, Siddique presented certificates and shawls to 56 contingent employees working in various offices at the Collectorate in recognition of their contributions.

Appreciation certificates were also distributed to officials of 184 government institutions that participated in the e-waste collection drive.

The second phase will cover households, private institutions, commercial establishments and residents' associations, with support from local bodies, government agencies and welfare organisations, he said.

A fixed amount will be paid for the collected e-waste, which will be segregated into around 50 categories before being handed over to the Clean Kerala Company for final disposal.

District Collector V Chelsasini released a poster detailing precautions to be taken by government institutions and local self-government bodies while handling e-waste.

Siddique also inaugurated the district-level launch of the five-year 'Nirmalam' waste management campaign aimed at making the state completely clean.

The campaign seeks to transform Keralam into a model state in waste management and achieve the goal of a completely waste-free state by March 30, 2031, observed as Zero Waste Day, he said.

The minister assured Wayanad's full participation and support for the statewide cleanliness campaign