Thiruvananthapuram: The ID cards, which were to be issued by the Suchitwa Mission to scrap dealers and collectors in May, will take at least another month. The issuing of ID cards would have been an official step through which the Mission would make those in the scrap business a formal part of the waste management system. However, it is learnt that the Mission spent a lot of time identifying the ideal material on which the ID cards would be printed. Paper ID cards do not last long, and plastic does not conform to the Mission ideals.
After a lot of discussion, a metal alloy which is a combination of steel and copper has been finalised, according to State Mission Programme Officer S Ameersha. “It does not cost very much for an ecofriendly material. We had to figure out the printing technology that would suit the material. Now the cards are getting printed and would be done within this month,” he says. The launch of the cards had been kept for later, as it should be a large scale event, says outgoing Mission Executive Director K Vasuki.
“Suchitwa Mission has, as a policy, wanted to include the informal sector. When we offered a sales tax exemption on recycling equipment as well as electronic and plastic scrap, they were encouraged. Giving them an ID card and including them formally as part of the waste management system is a big step. It has to be a big bang event,” she says. The cards are likely to be launched only after the new Mission Director T Mithra assumes office.
