Karnataka government offices go green, officials shun use of plastic bottles

In a move that could have a sizeable impact on plastic waste generation, the Chief Secretary’s office recently passed an order asking offices to cut down on plastic usage. 
Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru. (File photo | EPS)
Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru. (File photo | EPS)

BENGALURU:  In an eco-friendly turn, the state government has started taking serious action against packaged plastic bottles and paper cups being used in government offices, including Vidhana Soudha and Vikasa Soudha. In a move that could have a sizeable impact on plastic waste generation, the Chief Secretary’s office recently passed an order asking offices to cut down on plastic usage. 

“We have instructed them on not using water bottles at meetings, instead they can use water cans with steel tumblers,’’ Chief Secretary T M Vijay Bhaskar told The New Indian Express. He also said that any meeting headed by him or the Chief Minister would have only steel tumblers. Sources from the Vidhana Soudha house-keeping section said that on an average over 500 water bottles are collected daily. “Of late, we are receiving lesser bottles, but they are still being used. Some officials use it for their personal use. We are getting hundreds of paper cups as well,’’ sources said.

On similar lines, the Principal Secretary of the Rural Development and Panchayath Raj (RDPR) has also issued a circular on the usage of packaged water bottles. Directions have been issued to heads of gram panchayats and zilla panchayats. These offices now have to use 20-litre water cans and consume water in steel tumblers during meetings. 

Rajajinagar MLA Suresh Kumar said that they have to set an example by not using plastic bottles or paper cups.   Mayor Gangambike Mallikarjun said now they are giving water to councillors and officials in paper cups.“I will moot for steel or glass tumbler,’’ she added.

ECO-FRIENDLY DECISION
Local bodies in Mangaluru, in a bid to go green, have decided not to buy plastwater bottles in future. Dakshina Kannada zilla panchayat was the first to go ahead with this initiative a month ago. Now, they avoid usage of up to 1,000 bottles a month. Following suit, Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) has also bought steel jugs and tumblers for their drinking purposes. 

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