THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : As part of the clean city campaign, the Corporation has reinforced the green protocol hashtag drive #mywastemyresponsibility. The Corporation will strictly implement the campaign at the Greenfield International Stadium, The Sports Hub, which is preparing for the one-day match between India and West Indies on November 1. “Waste disposal is our responsibility. We have appointed student cadets to clean the stadium and nearby premises on October 18 and 19 before the match,” said Mayor V K Prasanth.
The campaign focuses on spreading awareness regarding the side effects of plastic products which people are hardly bothered about. According to the health officials with the Corporation, plastic cups are made using Bisphenol A(BPA) and Polypropylene which are chemicals that are responsible for spreading cancer. “The cups which we use to serve tea and coffee are cancerous.
It has multiple layers of plastic coating, which will melt and leach chemicals. Secondly, you have no clue about how these are manufactured and transported. It should not necessarily be washed or cleaned,” said Anoop Roy, health inspector-in-charge, Corporation.
As an alternative to plastic plates, the Corporation will be using biodegradable plates made of sugar cane fibre and palm leaf plates at the stadium. “We will not allow plastic plates at the stadium. Bagasse fibre plates are designed to creatively communicate the green message,” said Rakhi Ravikumar, Deputy Mayor. The Bagasse fibre is made from the remnants of sugar cane after the juice is extracted.
The Corporation will provide cloth bags and instead retract plastic bags from the public. “Initially 10,000 cloth bags will be distributed among the public. The launch will be on October 18 and student cadets will be in charge of distribution,” Mayor V K Prasanth said. Kerala Cricket Association will be sponsoring the cloth bags as an initiative of getting to zero waste.
Green volunteers will be in charge of keeping the stadium and premises clean. “Pepsi which is one of the sponsors for the match will collect back their plastic bottles post-match,” added Anoop Roy. The paperless ticket is one other speciality. “It is going to be a mobile scanning system. No more paper wastes on the ground,” said Ajay Padmanabhan, Chief Operating Officer at IL&FS Township & Urban Assets Ltd (Sports). The Corporation has also decided to provide a temporary license to street vendors in and around the stadium thereby strictly enforce green protocol. The Kudumbashree and Central Jail, Poojappura has also extended their support .
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The Corporation will provide cloth bags and instead retract plastic bags from the public. “Initially 10,000 cloth bags will be distributed among the public. The launch will be on October 18 and student cadets will be in charge of distribution,” Mayor V K Prasanth said.