VMC commissioner pledges to make plastic free city

VIJAYAWADA: V Prasanna Venkatesh, the newly appointed Municipal Commissioner of Vijayawada, has taken up plastic pollution on a serious note and has been enlisting plans to make Vijayawada plastic-free. 

Venkatesh said that the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) has drafted an action plan with the support of district administration to launch a special drive for a period of two months to decrease the plastic usage among the public and make them adapted with using degradable bags made out of jute and paper for their daily needs.

The commissioner said, at first contributors, such as the hoteliers, commercial establishments, butchers, bar and restaurant owners will be made conscious of the damage being caused to the environment with the usage of plastic bags below 50 microns. 

Plans are under consideration to procure leaves from the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) and suggest the butchers to make use of them for packing the meat in place of plastic bags. In the next phase, the VMC will take the support of Self Help Groups (SHGs) to introduce non-woven jute bags and deliver bulk orders for manufacturing them to circulate in the city.

Free training will be conducted for those who are interested in manufacturing  bags out of old clothes in their houses. Soon after the manufacturing procedure commences, four outlets will be erected at prime locations of the city to sell the bags at subsidised price. 

Besides, a check-post will be also established in the city to prevent the entry and circulation of non-degradable bags. In this regard, enforcement teams will be constituted to carry out special checks against the commercial establishments which did not utilise the bags made out of cloth and jute, Venkatesh said, adding that plans are under consideration to establish a park with structures made out of plastic waste and make the public eradicate plastic usage from their lives.