After plastic ban, Aamhi Girgaonkar distributes 8,000 cloth bags

The state government ban on use of plastic left many people in the lurch. For those struggling to look for an alternative, a local group comprising residents of South Mumbai's Girgaon, Kalbadevi, and Chira Bazaar, distributed nearly 8,000 carry bags made of cloth at markets, old chawls and buildings on Sunday. The initiative aims at accustoming people to use cloth bags as an alternative to the plastic ones.

"On Gudi Padwa, the Maharashtra government took the environment-friendly initiative of banning plastic. The move was widely welcomed by all Mumbaikars. The responsibility to save the environment does not lie solely with the government or the ministers. Each and every individual must ensure the steps are implemented effectively and encourage fellow citizens to embrace it, too. This is how our team came up with the idea to distribute 8,000 cloth bags in every chawl, building, and other establishments in Girgaon," said Gaurav Sagwekar, the head of Aamhi Girgaonkar, a local team.

Amit Bhadricha, a resident of Chira Bazaar, feels everyone wishes to stop using plastic bags, but find it difficult to do so due to a lack of viable alternatives. "However, we are hoping people to now switch to using the cloth bags that have been distributed abundantly. Not only will these prove handy, they will also last longer. We welcome this move and shall switch to using the cloth bags now," he said.

The state government banned usage of plastic in the state from March 18. The initiative was launched by Yuva Sena president Aaditya Thackeray; Environment Minister Ramdas Kadam followed it up and Chief Minister Devendra Fadanvis finally implemented it.

AN ALTERNATIVE

• The state govt banned usage of plastic in the state from March 18. 
   
• While most welcomed the decision, they were suffering due to a lack of alternatives.
   
• Aamhi Girgaonkar, therefore, decided to distribute the cloth bags.