SRIKAKULAM: In an attempt to reduce pollution caused by plastic, Srikakulam Municipal Corporation (SMC) has banned water packets in the city limits. Prior to banning it, civic officials also imposed ban on plastic bags in the rythu bazaar. Used water packets are being dumped in canals, drains and even on the road in a big way in the city. Keeping in view public health, besides the pollution, civic officials have imposed ban on water packets.
Vigilance officials found that majority of the private RO water plants was unhygienic, besides violating the prescribed norms while packing water in packets and even in bottles. To improve the ranking in Swachh Survekshan survey and also to ensure Swachh Srikakulam, civic officials have outsourced about 317 sanitation workers, besides the existing 89 permanent staff. On the ban of water packets, SMC commissioner R Sreeramulu Naidu said that under the Swachh Srikakulam programme, ban on sales and use of water packets was imposed in the purview of the city.
He also said that they had been creating awareness among public on the ban of water packets by using public-address system. The civic chief also said that they would put up flexies and posters on the ban of water packets in various areas of the city soon. “We would create awareness through local cable TV channels also,” he said. To create awareness on Swachh Survekshan survey, a 5K run would be conducted where the water packet ban would be the major slogan, Sreeramulu Naidu said. A violation of the rule would attract a fine of `10,000.