Shillong, The Co-curricular Academic Development Committee and the Department of Environmental Science, Shillong College in collaboration with Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC), Shillong College organised a 2 day National conference on the topic of The Issue of Electronic Waste: Environmental Concerns, Management and Opportunities for Entrepreneurship on the 29th and 30th of September, 2022.
The Chief guest, Dr. Mazel Ampareen Lyngdoh, Hon’ble member of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly, East Shillong,on the occasion impressed upon the gathering the importance and need of such deliberations on a pressing issue such as this.
She stated that the State of Meghalaya is still in its nascent stage in addressing issues of e waste and e waste management despite concerted efforts having been made by different departments in the government since 2009 towards this end.
She called upon the active participation of individuals, and the community at large whilst emphasising upon the urgent need towards sensitising programmes to bring all stakeholders into the fold.
On this note, she hailed the college for taking this very important step to organise a National Conference such as this and reiterated the importance of intelligent deliberations to formulate steps and strategies in tackling the menacing issues of e waste and e waste management in the state.
She urged the organisers to come up with a comprehensive report and submit the same to concerned governmental agencies so that this event does not only conform and end simply as an academic debate.
Further, she highlighted the seldom attended connection between e waste management and entrepreneurship with a question “Who will attend to the correct disposal system?”. She ended her speech with best wishes for a fruitful outcome from the conference and declared the Conference open.
Thee dignitaries and resource persons for the two day national conference are Prof. D. Paul, Professor, Department of Environmental Studies, North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong, Dr Paromita Chakraborty, Associate Professor, SRM Research Institute, Kattankulathur, Chennai, Miss Priti Mahesh, Chief Programme Coordinator for Toxics Link, New Delhi.
Mr. D. P. Pabhu, Co-founder Respose Waste Management and Research Private Ltd., Mumbai, Mr. Miraz Ahmed, Director, Terra Matter Initiative Private Limited, Guwahati. Mr. Frankie Ryntathiang, Deputy Manager, MIE/PRIME Startup Hub, Shillong, Heading Convergence Team at PRIME and also Apiculture Mission 2.0 under MIE.
On the second day of the conference apart from technical sessions an Inter College Debate Competition was held on the topic “ Electronics Improve or Worsen Students Learning Environment” in which students from10 colleges from all over the state participated.
This 2 day national conference is among the first of its kind in the state to be held to bring attention to the issue of E-waste which has hitherto not been given adequate importance.
The conference apart fromcreating awareness among college students and faculty alike is also expected to give impetus to those interested in exploring entrepreneurial undertakings in this field and elucidate various financial and logistical avenues for the same.