RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh government took the decision to withdraw its practice on the usage of plastic bottles and plastic ceiling caps for supplying and sale of liquor. The move believed to be an upshot of the
campaign against single-use plastics will be executed from December 1.
“Keeping in view the health hazards and the harm the plastic pollution brings to the environment, which assumes critical significance, the state excise department has taken a conscious decision to discontinue usage of plastic bottles for the country liquor and the ceiling caps for the foreign ones. The order
placed will come into effect from December 1 this year”, a senior official told this newspaper.
Consequently, the instruction regarding it has been issued to all processing and bottling units, beverage
corporation, marketing corporation and the excise officers in every district of the state, he added.
TNIE had earlier reported on how state liquor policy promotes use of plastic bottles for sale of liquor. The state government was slammed for ”hypocrisy” over sale of liquor in plastic bottle. When there is a nationwide campaign against the single-use plastics, the Chhattisgarh’s contradictory approach irked opposition leaders, social activists and health experts.
Liquor ban was among the key poll planks of the Congress, ahead of the Chhattisgarh Assembly elections –2018.
Environmental agencies and activists had earlier questioned as to how approval was given to sell liquor in plastic satchets without any scientific research on the possible impact of plastic.
Officials had then claimed to have faced an acute shortage of glass and began using plastic bottles for the liquor sale.
“Plastic bottles will be replaced to the extent it can be. We are not the first state to use plastic bottles
for liquor,” special secretary (Excise dept) A P Tripathi had earlier defended the stand.
The state administration had in September this year began the campaign against the usage of single-use plastics in different districts.