In a one-month-long drive, the city has witnessed a transformation with drastic plastic waste reduction
The civic body has collected Rs 81.35 lakh in fine from manufacturers for not following Plastic Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2016. The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation has also passed a resolution to take action in this regard in its health and solid waste committee and standing committee. On World Environment Day, the AMC joined United Nation's 'Beat the Plastic' programme. In a one-month-long drive, the city has witnessed a transformation with drastic plastic waste reduction.
There is a blanket ban on the use of water pouches, plastic cups/glasses, and polythene bags. The Health Department is keeping a strict vigil in the city to make it plastic free. On a pilot basis, a reverse vending machine was placed in Kankaria Lakefront to recycle plastic bottles. In the first week of its installation, 5,000 bottles were collected.
"The banned items cannot be seen anywhere in the city limits. Our strategy was to arrive at the root cause of the menace. We had sealed around 168 manufacturing units. Parallelly, an awareness campaign is being conducted via different mediums," said Dr Bhavin Solanki, in-charge medical officer of health, AMC.
"We are educating people and encouraging them to use alternatives to plastic. Many chains in the city have adopted eco-friendly options. Vendors and retailers are asking people to carry their own shopping bags," added Dr Solanki.
The civic body is in the process to install reverse vending machines at five more places. "At the Kankaria Lakefront, the reverse vending machine was installed for a trial base. We are finalising a party to run it on a contract basis," said a senior AMC official.
Kankaria Lakefront is a no plastic zone. "In the lakefront premises, one can not enter with plastic products. Plastic bottles, water pouches, bags, etcs are banned. Each visitor is screened by the security guards and the banned items, if found, are seized immediately," added the official.
THE IMPACT
- Sealed plastic units 168
- Fine collected Rs 8,135 lakh
- Notices issued 13,319
- Seized plastic 14,613 kg
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