PERAMBALUR: A sustainable world and a plastic-free Tamil Nadu (Negili Illa Tamizhagam) is their dream. Around 20 volunteers from villages across Perambalur formed ‘Puthiya Payanam’ and embarked on a mission six years ago to wipe out the usage of plastic bags from towns and cities. The now 300-strong group Puthiya Payanam has spread its wings far and wide across the districts of Perambalur, Tiruchy, Ariyalur, and Cuddalore.
Over the past few years, the group has distributed over 60,000 cloth bags to the public free of cost.
Initially, the endeavour aimed to improve the green cover by planting saplings and protecting water bodies in 2015. It then transformed into a large campaign against the hazards of plastic the very next year. The group was also one of the organisers of a conference on ‘Plastic-free Tamil Nadu’ at Tiruchy in 2019.
Each bag carries an awareness message on the ill-effects of plastic and the need to switch to eco-friendly cloth bags. Apart from public events, it is distributed on request at schools and college festivals, on birthdays. The funds for the bags are mobilised by volunteers.
A Suresh, a team member, is among many who has taken the mission close to heart. “During my wedding last year, we gave gifts to about 2,000 friends and families in cloth bags. It was-well received by them. I hope this will minimise the use of plastic as a single cloth bag can replace 10 plastic ones,” he says.
Another member, P Anbukumar, says that we live in the plastic era. “On my part, to avoid this, we decided to celebrate my son’s birthday last month without plastics. We made 200 cloth bags each with an awareness message for our visitors. Everyone must follow suit in festivals.”
Their efforts do not go in vain. “Each bag has a powerful message printed on it. So, it will not be discarded that easily by people. On February 4, we gave away 1,000 cloth bags at a temple festival in Perali village. We hope this will create more awareness among the people,” says a member, T Nallappan.
Puthiya Payanam aims to take people back to the good old days when cloth bags used to be an integral part of every household. The State government’s Meendum Majapai project and the ban on 14 types of plastics in 2019 helped the awareness campaign reach a wider audience.
Welcoming the Meendum Manjapai campaign, Nallappan said the government should focus more on production of alternative products, making it available at subsidised rates, and organising exhibitions for such products across the State.
The government should look into managing solid waste in panchayats and recycling non-biodegradable materials. To create awareness among the students, the hazards of plastic should be included in textbooks, Nallappan adds.