NUAPADA: Nuapada has become the first district in Odisha to be officially declared single-use plastic (SUP) free.
The announcement was made on World Environment Day by collector Madhusudan Dash. This initiative aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a SUP-Free India by October 2, 2025.
To support the district’s SUP-Free status, the administration launched a month-long intensive campaign focusing on infrastructure development and community mobilisation. As part of this initiative, 103 segregation sheds at the gram panchayat level and two plastic waste management units have been made operational to streamline plastic waste processing.
Over 700 cleanliness drives have been planned across both rural and urban areas, targeting collection of 10 tonnes of plastic waste. In addition, one lakh trees will be planted and 500 green buffer zones created to rejuvenate degraded areas and mitigate pollution.
During the official event, all participants took the “Pledge for LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment)” under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, reaffirming their commitment to sustainable living.
UNICEF state sanitation consultant Jogendra Singh presented a one-month action plan outlining strategic interventions. Dash emphasised the need for strict monitoring and evaluation to ensure effective implementation. The district’s unique initiatives drew the attention of experts from UNICEF, Odisha State Pollution Control Board, and the WASH sector. Divisional forest officer Azeez Khan and district legal services authority secretary Navneeta Dash were among those present at the event.