बोतलबंद पानी आज की आवश्यकता है। ऐसे में यदि प्लास्टिक की बोतलों पर प्रतिबंध लगता है तो इसका विकल्प पहले से खोज कर र… https://t.co/wTwEQ1zaKa — Ram Vilas Paswan (@irvpaswan) 1567171335000

प्रधानमंत्री जी ने 15 अगस्त के अपने भाषण में एक बार इस्तेमाल होने वाले खतरनाक प्लास्टिक को खत्म करने का आह्वान कि… https://t.co/pkJqaLjd5F — Ram Vilas Paswan (@irvpaswan) 1567171267000

NEW DELHI: Emphasising the fact that a campaign to shun single use plastic ( SUP ) will have a huge impact on packaged water bottles which have become a part of urban life, consumer affairs minister Ram Vilas Paswan has urged government departments to find alternatives.While on Friday he flagged the issue at an event of Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), Paswan had reportedly pointed out this issue at the council of ministers meeting on Wednesday where drinking water and sanitation secretary Parameswaran Iyer made a detailed presentation on ways to curb the menace of SUP. Responding to a question from TOI, Paswan said, "I pointed out how using bottled water has become a necessity in cities and towns as there is a common perception that the municipal water is not 100% safe for health. So, it’s a challenge and we have to find a solution.”In a tweet, Paswan said on Friday that PM has given a clarion call to end the dangerous single use plastic in his Independence Day address. “This will have maximum impact on the packaged drinking water bottle that people use. Bottled water has become a necessity in our life. We should find an alternative,” he tweeted.A top official said there will be discussion soon to find an alternative.Meanwhile, the government has set different tasks for ministries and departments which will be rolled out from September 11. All national highway owning agencies have been tasked to collect plastic waste along the highways under their jurisdiction by October 1 and ensure that all these waste are recycled and used in road construction by October 27.According to Iyer's presentation, all ministries and departments have been asked to ban the use of SUPs, particularly at all official events. The environment ministry has been tasked to ban the entry of SUP in Himalayan region and other eco-fragile zones.Similarly, tourism ministry will have the responsibility to ensure that no SUP is allowed at iconic tourist places, beaches and historic sites. All cement factories will be mandated to use plastic as a fuel at their facilities, a source said.Considering that PM’s call to shun plastic and go for cloth or jute bags will push their demand, the textile ministry has been asked to ramp up production of jute bags and also to provide cloth bags at subsidised rates through corporate social responsibility (CSR).Sources said the railways ministry has been asked to hold competition to rank plastic free railway stations.To make it a people’s movement, the government will also encourage people to shoot selfies with their alternative for SUP and share one minute videos of their effort to get rid of plastic.