In this Telangana district, exchange one kg plastic waste to get one kg rice

By U Mahesh|

Express News Service |

Published: 16th October 2019 05:11 AM

Representational Image (File photo | EPS))

MULUGU: In a bid to enforce the ban on single-use plastic materials across the district, Mulugu District Collector C Narayana Reddy has come up with a plan, which ensures the participation of denizens as well. As part of the plan, the district administration has set up plastic collection centres at all villages, wherein each citizen will receive one kilogram of rice in return for each kilogram of plastic waste that they bring in. The programme was initiated following Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s directions to curb the use of single-use plastic across the State.

It is not the first time that the district collector made headlines with such appreciable moves. ‘Maa Rythu Maa Raju - Mulugu Udyogulam, Rythu Sevakulam’ (My farmer is my King - Mulugu employees are servants of the farmers) — a programme initiated by Narayana Reddy to ensure that all government offices in the district are farmer-friendly — too had received good response from the citizens.

EXPLAINED: What is single-use plastic and why does PM Modi want it banned in India?

Even though Mulugu’s major attractions are its wildlife sanctuaries that attract tourists from across the country and the forest department authorities are trying their best to keep the reserve forest clean so that its eco-tourism is not disrupted, the plastic menace has been affecting the natural beauty of the district.

However, the district officials are now hoping that they will be able to curb the use of plastic materials with the new programme. According to the district collector himself, as many as 250 single-use plastic collection centres have been arranged across the district and these centres will collect plastic materials, which are not good for the environment and cannot be recycled, from the people.

Speaking to Express, he said that for each kilogram of single-use plastic materials that one bring in, they will be given one kilogram of rice in return. We are sure that this bid will create awareness among the people, he added. C Narayana Reddy also requested the people and shopkeepers to completely avoid the use of plastic bags.

The district administration recently conducted a meeting with village officials and directed them to spread awareness among the people on the need to stop the use of low-quality plastic materials. We have also explained the street vendors and retail shop owners on why they must stop the usage of plastic covers, the collector told Express and noted that the officials concerned will levy fine on the violators. Further, he stated that the plastic materials collected will be handed over to cement manufacturing units.