Mantralaya premises to get plastic bottle processing units

Since charity begins at home, the state government has decided to set up a processing machine for plastic bottles in the Mantralaya's premises. According to the state government's notification, it has asked the public works department to set up the processing machine at Mantralaya near Mirror Gate.

"Several people regularly visit Mantralaya, besides the staffers. Most of them use plastic water bottles. After use, the water bottles are carelessly disposed of. If the processing unit is set within Mantralaya's premises then people can use them," Ramdas Kadam, environment minister told DNA.

He said that there is a need for awareness among people regarding the use of plastic. "Plastic is posing a major threat to the environment. When thrown into the sea, they are not only creating pollution but also endangering sea animals," added the minister.

A senior official from the environment department said that they are planning to set up the processing units at major and crowded places of the premises where people can easily use them. "We will use our corporate social responsibility (CSR ) funds to buy these processing machines. People always complain that there is no basic infrastrucutre which leads them to throw plastic on the road. Now, we hope that these processing machines will end the menace of plastic bottles."