Corp's Campaign To Eliminate Plastic Bags
The Coimbatore Corporation has decided to step up its campaign to eliminate plastic bags from the city and also to sensitise the people to store biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste separately as part of its solid waste management programme. The decision was taken at a meeting of the Corporation’s Environment Committee meeting on Monday. It was attended by Mayor R. Venkatachalam, Deputy Mayor N. Karthik, Corporation Commissioner, V.K. Shanmugham Deputy Commissioner, V. Shanta, City Health Officer M. Thangaraj, Health Committee Chairman P. Nachimuthu, Education Committee Chairman R. Kalyanasundaram, officials of the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board and environment protection activists.
Another decision taken was that the pollution control board and Osai, a non-Governmental organisation, would also petition the High Court for vacating the stay on enforcing the ban on plastic carry bags. The court had granted stay on a petition against the enforcement that was moved by traders. But since there was no bar on awareness programmes, the Corporation decided to step up the campaign. An official of the civic body said after the meeting that the aim was to win the people’s support for the drive, even as the Corporation would wait for the court’s order. Rallies, street plays and other forms of awareness drives would be carried out.
The committee also decided to begin soon the door-to-door collection of garbage. Two bins to store the segregated waste would be distributed across the city. Zone-level working committees comprising the Zone Chairman, Assistant Commissioner, Zone Sanitary Officer and members of NGOs would be formed to oversee the drives to spread awareness on solid waste management and also on the ill-effects of plastic bags.
