The City Corporation has requested Chief Minister Oommen Chandy to issue an executive order to impose ban on plastic carry bags in the city limits in the wake of the massive campaign to boycott plastic carry bags to be kicked off jointly by the Corporation and State Government on January 1.
On the first day of plastic boycott, the 1,000 squads formed by City Corporation will distribute 10,000 cloth bags among the public in the city roads. Addressing the Councillors’ meeting here on Thursday, Works Standing Committee chairman V S Padmakumar said that in the past one week 10 units had submitted applications for obtaining licence to start cloth bag-making units in the city.
“Units capable of producing 25,000 cloth bags a day are there in the city. They can also make it available at cheaper rates,” said Padmakumar. The responsibility of finding an alternative to plastic carry bags rely upon traders too and Corporation cannot provide the bags free, he said.
Welfare Standing Committee chairman Palayam Rajan said that the plastic boycott should be implemented in phases. “Kudumbashree units to produce cloth bags can be started at select and possible locations. Some 10 or 12 mechanised units to make the cloth bags may be necessary to meet the demand,” said Rajan. “There has to be a constant and massive intervention to boycott plastic,” he said. The plan is to seize plastic wraps, less than 40 microns, used in hotels and restaurants.
Meanwhile, the meeting also stressed the need to organise awareness campaign among the public regarding the overuse of plastic carry bags and the adversities of burning plastics. Boycotting other plastic materials will be considered in the second phase.
Deputy Mayor G Happy Kumar presided over the meeting. Health Standing Committee chairperson S Pushpalatha, Development Standing Committee chairperson Shajida Nazar and Tax Appealing Standing Committee chairperson P Shyamkumar attended.