'No Plastic' to be enforced in tourist centres
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Kochi: State Pollution Control Board is launching a plan to free the tourist centres of the state from the menace of plastic heaps.
The aim is to strictly ban the use of plastic in towns, beaches, places of worship frequented by tourists, high ranges in Western ghat, water falls and ayurveda & arts centres.
Single use plastic bottles, containers, spoons, straws, carry bags, sheets, beds, flex boards, banners and thermocol are the items to be hit. Re-usable buckets, milk bottles and plastic covers over 50 microns, rain coat, pens, tarpaulin sheets and bags to be used in agriculture will be exempt from the ban.
The plan will be implemented by the 16 offices of Pollution Control Board across 14 districts in co-operation with local bodies. Violaters will be booked with severe action. All tourist centres will be displaying warning boards about the decision.
As a pilot of the plan, Idukki, Munnar tourism belt will see the enforcement. By January, Kovalam and Fort Kochi beaches and other places will also come under the ban. Detailed discussions are being held about the implementation of the drive. As part of this, a meeting of Board directors and all regional chief engineers was held in Kochi.
The Board Chaiman will hold discussions with the Chief Minister next week.
The Government is spening a huge amount for the removal and disposal of plastic. In beaches and other similalr frequented places, tons of plastic waste are getting heaped each day.
Experts point out that when this happens in a huge scale, sea water is also getting polluted to unprecedented levels. It is in this context that a decision has been taken to ban the sale and distribution of plastic, Ernakulam Regional Chief Engineer MA Baiju told Madhyamam.