The Kerala government has decided to ban plastic hoardings and flex boards in the state, amid growing clamour by the greens on environmental hazards caused by their rampant use. Curiously, these publicity tools are used mostly by politicians and the government to declare various programmes. Therefore, as the ban gets enforced, hundreds of hoardings and flex boards featuring the chief minister and other ministers will have to be removed immediately. To its credit, the state cabinet directed the authorities concerned to remove all unauthorised flex board hoardings across the state with immediate effect.
Flex boards had become a runaway menace in Kerala with football fans taking a page out of the politician’s diary and erecting thousands of personal announcements in the nooks and crannies, celebrating their favourite team and denigrating some others during the World Cup in Brazil. Not just political parties and film industry, even religious and socio-cultural organisations use flex boards with gay abandon to promote events. Though no official figures are available, it is reckoned Kerala spends annually `150 crore on plastic hoardings and flex boards.
There have been demands for some time now from environmentalists to impose a ban on flex and plastic boards as these hoardings are hazardous in nature and do not bio-degrade naturally. There have been earlier attempts to minimise let alone completely prohibit the use of flex boards in the state, but with little success. The Election Commission too had banned the use of flex and plastic boards in the general elections, but it was lifted by the high court. Similarly, the state pollution control board in June made a submission before the high court to curtail the use of flex boards in a phased manner. It was pointed out that poly vinyl, one of the constituents in flex boards, are plastics which do not degrade naturally. The decision to ban these gross tools of publicity, hugely harmful to the environment, should be welcomed by all.