Berhampur (Odisha): A group of students of ITI Berhampur have developed a robot, which is apparently the tallest e-Waste sculpture in the country. The 30-feet tall ‘ROBO’ weighs three tonnes and has been made out of PCB, printer, printer cartridge, RAM, keyboard, mouse, monitor, mobile, CD player, TV and VCR by the trainees from electrician, electronics and painter trade of the institute.
The students are trainees from the electrician, electronics and painter department of the institute. The e-Waste for the robot was collected from across Berhampur city. ITI Berhampur principal Dr Rajat Kumar Panigrahy said the sculpture is an effort by the students to promote the scientific management of e-Waste.
Through this sculpture, the ITI Berhampur students appeal to the people to reconnect with Mother Earth by being responsible for the scientific management of e-Waste. In the current digital era, the e-Waste generation is very high.
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While e-Waste comprises many toxic elements, including copper, liquid crystal, lithium, mercury, nickel, selenium, arsenic, and barium, among others. When it is not properly managed, the risks of e-Waste polluting the surrounding air and water are significantly high. As per the Waste Management Rules, 2016, the e-Waste should be scientifically stored and dismantled as their unscientific management leads to pollution and various environmental hazards.
Sandeep Kumar Panda, a student, said, "We developed this robot sculpture within two to three months using three tonnes of e-Waste generated by Berhampur Municipal Corporation and ITI. It is 30-feet long." Dr Rajat Kumar Panigrahi, Principal, ITI, Berhampur said, "Students have developed the largest sculpture out of e-Waste using e-Waste generated in the local city from TV, mobile phones, computers, mouse, keyboards etc. In all, 30 to 40 students worked on this sculpture. We all got good opportunities for skill development during the pandemic. We will try submitting it for the Asian Book of Records and the Guinness Book of Records."
