VIJAYAWADA: The strict enforcement of the ban on single-use plastic by the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) has started yielding results. The plastic waste generated in the city has come down to 700 quintals per day now from 4 metric tonnes before the enforcement of the ban five months ago.
As per the statistics provided by the VMC, the city generates about 550 metric tonnes of municipal solid waste (MSW) per day. Of the total MSW generated per day, wet waste is 220 metric tonnes, dry waste 300 metric tonnes and plastic waste 30 tonnes.
The segregated garbage is initially shifted to the transfer station at Ajith Singh Nagar dumping yard. Later, it will be disposed of scientifically to reduce environmental pollution.
The VMC imposed a total ban on single-use plastic in August 2019. As part of strict enforcement of the ban, the VMC authorities are imposing fines on violators. “As many as 3,290 cases have been registered against traders for violating the ban on single-use plastic and `20 lakh fine has been collected from them,” VMC Chief Medical Officer for Health (CMOH) K Arjuna Rao told TNIE.
Elaborating further, he said the special teams have seized 30 tonnes of single-use plastic during the raids conducted across the city, apart from registering cases and imposing hefty penalties against violators of ban. A unit set up at the district sub-jail has started manufacturing cloth and jute bags. The bags manufactured by the jail inmates will be marketed by the women’s self-help groups.
“Vijayawada is expected to figure among the top 10 cities in the next edition of Swachh Survekshan Survey as the ban on single-use plastic has started yielding good results. Vijayawada is the only city from Andhra Pradesh, which figured among top 20 cities of the SS League-2020,” Arjuna Rao added.