HYDERABAD: The two‑day e‑waste drive launched by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) began on Monday, with vehicles pressed into service in several colonies and special counters set up at ward offices.
Residents handed over large appliances such as washing machines, refrigerators, and air coolers, which would otherwise have been dumped in the city’s nalas. Smaller items like defective mobile phones and laptops had already been disposed of earlier. The collected e‑waste, including geysers and dishwashers, is being sent to the Dundigal recycling plant.
At Baghlingampally, resident K. Satish Maher said most of the discarded equipment was too bulky for Swachh Auto Tippers (SATs) that collect door‑to‑door garbage. “Autos take cardboard, but dumping fridges and coolers is not feasible due to space crunch. These were stocked in cellars and balconies until now,” he said. GHMC commissioner R.V. Karnan visited the locality on Monday.
GHMC additional commissioner (Sanitation) C.N. Raghu Prasad said e‑waste was collected in three categories such as large appliances like fridges and air conditioners, small appliances like mixer-grinders and fans, and IT/telecom equipment such as phones, chargers, and laptops. “Counters have been set up in every ward and the waste is being sent to the Dundigal processing unit operated by Ramky,” he said.
Residents noted that many items had become defunct after years of neglect, rust, or rodent damage, despite being repairable earlier. In Anand Nagar Colony, Khairatabad, residents finally disposed of old air conditioners after they became irrepairable.
On the first day, GHMC collected 47 metric tonnes of e‑waste across 271 locations, deploying 94 vehicles exclusively for the drive. The initiative continues Tuesday, with all collected waste transported to authorised processing units for scientific disposal.
Meanwhile, GHMC’s special sanitation drive, now in its 12th day, is transforming garbage‑prone spots into “selfie points.” Works have been taken up across 300 wards, covering 2,803 areas including foot overbridges, flyovers, and parks. In this period, GHMC removed 4,445 metric tonnes of additional waste — 3,289 tonnes of municipal solid waste and 1,156 tonnes of construction debris. The city generates about 9,000 tonnes of waste daily, making this collection an addition to routine clearance.