BHUBANESWAR: The Centre has asked the State Government to put ban on use of polythene bags in nurseries of Forest department. In a letter addressed to the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests of all the states, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change said the decision was taken as part of the Centre’s vision to make the country single-use plastic free by 2022. Accordingly, the Ministry has decided to make all the departments and offices under it’s plastic-free drive.
“It has been observed that nurseries under the Forest department are using polythene bags of various sizes for raising seedlings for afforestation and other activities. In this context, you are requested to ensure that use of polythene bags in the nurseries is dispensed with and alternatives are explored for raising seedlings,” the Ministry said in its letter.
“The order may be carried out with immediate effect to make all nurseries under the Forest department plastic-free by next planting season,” it added.Meanwhile, the forest officials have welcomed the move and stated that they will look for other alternatives as the State Government has also taken a similar steps and banned single-use plastic bags, polythenes and other similar products in all its municipal corporations from this year.
The Government has imposed ban on use of polythene bags, thermocol and similar plastic products in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Berhampur, Rourkela, Sambalpur and Puri from October 2. The order issued by Forest department stated that no person can sell, trade, manufacture, import, store, carry, transport, use or distribute polythene and single-use plastic.