UT Adviser calls for Plastic Free Chandigarh

Chandigarh, September 9:- Sh. Manoj Kumar Parida, IAS, Adviser to the Administrator, UT, Chandigarh today called a meeting regarding campaign against use of plastic items in Chandigarh. During the meeting Sh. Arun Kumar Gupta, IAS, Principal Secretary, Home, Sh. Ajoy Kumar Sinha, IAS, Finance Secretary, Sh. K.K. Yadav, IAS, Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, other senior officers of different departments of UT and officers of MCC were present.

The Adviser directed all the senior officers of different departments of UT to launch different campaigns to make Chandigarh free from plastic. He said that we must think of technologies to abolish plastic usage in the city and tell all the shopkeepers to sell jute and cloth bags only and citizens should adopt ways to reduce plastic usage.

 The Commissioner, Municipal Corporation Chandigarh apprised about the awareness programme besides taking measures to reduce plastic from the city. He said that a mass awareness campaign against the use of plastic under the theme “Plastic Mukt Bharat” would be launched on 11^th September, 2019. During the campaign different programmes would be conducted in three phases i.e. from 11^th September to 1^st October, 2019 awareness programmes; “Shramdaan” as mass movement on 2^nd October in 2^nd phase and Recycle/disposal of collected plastic waste, leading to a plastic free Diwali programmes from 3^rd October to 27^th October, 2019 in 3^rd Phase.

The Commissioner said that the campaigns would be focused to ensure that all the coming festivals are zero-waste and plastic free events to make “Plastic Free City”. He said that each and every stakeholder of the city will be involved in this campaign. He said that seminars would be organized in schools, colleges and other educational institutions on plastic free Chandigarh. Volunteers of NSS, NCC, Scouts & Guide would be roped in this mass campaign.

He further elaborated that Govt. Hospitals, Private Hospitals would ensure the ban against usages of single use plastic in their institutions and encourage mobile food suppliers, eateries, restaurants to use alternate means instead of plastic. Similarly, sports department would create mass mobilization programme by involving sports persons and organize rallies throughout city.

The Commissioner said that Social Welfare Department will sensitize citizens through Aanganwari workers, self help groups against the usage of single use plastic items. Engineering department, Chandigarh will carry out mass plaguing programmes to clean three choes running through city i.e. Patiala Ki Rao, N-Choe and Sukhna Choe besides cleaning the traditional and artificial water bodies in the city.

He said that the Administration would encourage people for setting up of Bartan Bhandars, Jhola bhandars, which would be used during the “Langars”, public functions and festivals. The Commissioner said that the Director Food and Supplies, Chandigarh would encourage shopkeepers to display boards in their shops carrying slogan “we don’t use plastic bags” and Industries department would hold meetings with Fast moving consumer goods/manufacturers/users to discuss how they can contribute to the theme as part of their extended producer responsibilities mandate.

Similarly, the Chandigarh pollution control committee and department of environment & forests would felicitate NGOs/citizens etc. who have done exemplary work on the plastic ban theme.

The Commissioner said that the Municipal Corporation Chandigarh would conduct massive awareness programmes, activities in urban and rural areas besides encouraging citizens and organizations on replacing plastic bags by cloth bags. He said that MCC would identify locations for plastic waste collection and segregation; to plan transportation & logistic of plastic to collection hub; to integrate in formal rag pickers, junk dealers, recyclers into the formal waste management system; to set up adequate number of material recovery facilities to handle recyclable/processing of plastic waste and incentivize citizens to deposit plastic waste at ULB-authorized collection centres.

He said that mass level programmes would be conducted on 2^nd October to take pledge for a plastic waste free city and organize “Shramdaan” for plastic waste collection in order to make Chandigarh plastic free. One day of every month will be earmarked as “Plastic Free day” in Chandigarh. He further said that complete ban on usage of any single use plastic items would be declared on 2^nd October, 2019.

[responsivevoice_button voice=”UK English Female” buttontext=”Listen to Post”]

Watch This Video Till End….