By Siva Gorripati
VISAKHAPATNAM: Even after one year of the ban on single-use plastic in the Visakhapatnam, traders of various categories are still flouting the norms and generating plastic waste in scores of tonnes, worrying the authorities.
According to Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC), the city has been generating 400 tonnes of plastic waste every day of a total waste of more than 1,000 tonnes, which is dumped in the 101 acres extent of the dumping yard in Kapuluppada on the outskirts of the city.
The GVMC authorities pressed the enforcement teams and vehicles across the city and seized 15,000 kgs of plastic including covers, carry bags, and other single-use plastic items below 75 microns thickness in the city in just 15 days. Means 1000 kgs of plastic in each day.
It is recalled that the GVMC had banned single-use plastic within its limits from June 5 of last year. The authorities had started an awareness campaign for support from the public. But the GVMC’s plan to distribute six lakhs more cloth bags to the public is yet to be implemented. This plan was announced by the GVMC after it had completed 100 days of ban on plastic last year.
“The authorities should provide an alternative to plastic when they planned to ban plastic. People are still using single-use plastic. There should be strict punishment or penalty for the flouting of norms by the traders or businessman,” a retired teacher N Ranga Rao said.
Around 9,000 kgs of plastic were seized in a single day as the GVMC had taken up the special drive with heads of the various wings and staff, the additional commissioner sanitary and health wing Dr V Sanyasi Rao told TOI.
He added that drives would continue, and the public should also extend support to protect the environment, which will protect the health of the public.
The GVMC warned the traders that it would initiate action and impose penalties against them if they flout the plastic ban norms. It has initiated enforcement teams with vehicles. Around 600 Clap vehicles are collecting the waste from door to door in the city to around 37 transfer stations, from where the garbage would shift to Kapuluppada Dumping Yard.
VISAKHAPATNAM: Even after one year of the ban on single-use plastic in the Visakhapatnam, traders of various categories are still flouting the norms and generating plastic waste in scores of tonnes, worrying the authorities.
According to Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC), the city has been generating 400 tonnes of plastic waste every day of a total waste of more than 1,000 tonnes, which is dumped in the 101 acres extent of the dumping yard in Kapuluppada on the outskirts of the city.
The GVMC authorities pressed the enforcement teams and vehicles across the city and seized 15,000 kgs of plastic including covers, carry bags, and other single-use plastic items below 75 microns thickness in the city in just 15 days. Means 1000 kgs of plastic in each day.
It is recalled that the GVMC had banned single-use plastic within its limits from June 5 of last year. The authorities had started an awareness campaign for support from the public. But the GVMC’s plan to distribute six lakhs more cloth bags to the public is yet to be implemented. This plan was announced by the GVMC after it had completed 100 days of ban on plastic last year.
“The authorities should provide an alternative to plastic when they planned to ban plastic. People are still using single-use plastic. There should be strict punishment or penalty for the flouting of norms by the traders or businessman,” a retired teacher N Ranga Rao said.
Around 9,000 kgs of plastic were seized in a single day as the GVMC had taken up the special drive with heads of the various wings and staff, the additional commissioner sanitary and health wing Dr V Sanyasi Rao told TOI.
He added that drives would continue, and the public should also extend support to protect the environment, which will protect the health of the public.
The GVMC warned the traders that it would initiate action and impose penalties against them if they flout the plastic ban norms. It has initiated enforcement teams with vehicles. Around 600 Clap vehicles are collecting the waste from door to door in the city to around 37 transfer stations, from where the garbage would shift to Kapuluppada Dumping Yard.