HYDERABAD: Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari has set a deadline of July-end for making Amrabad Tiger Reserve a plastic-free zone.
The chief secretary held a meeting with officials of Forests and Panchayat Raj departments as well as the Telangana State Pollution Control Board on Wednesday and discussed measures to be taken to make the tiger reserve a plastic-free zone. She directed the officials to strictly enforce the ban on use of plastic bags and bottles in the tiger reserve and said that additional check posts should be established to remove banned plastic articles and promote alternatives to plastic through eco-friendly products like paper bags, cloth, jute bags and leaf plates.
Officials were also told to take up massive awareness campaigns through print and electronic media as well as by erecting signboards at panchayat, district and state level.
Local vendors along the highway should be sensitised about the ban on use of plastic in the tiger reserve, Santhi Kumari added.
The chief secretary asked the officials to expedite the process of relocating people living in four habitations under the Amrabad Tiger Reserve as per the timeline. She said that funds available under the Haritha Nidhi scheme should be utilised within the year. The CS also asked officials of the Endowments department to take steps to eradicate usage of plastic at the Maisamma temple in Mahbubnagar district.
Forest department Principal Secretary Vani Prasad, Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Principal Secretary Sandeep Kumar Sultania, PCCF RM Dobriyal, TSPCB member-secretary Buddha Prakash Jyothi, Endowments commissioner Hanumantha Rao and other officials were present.