VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh government has set an ambitious target to make the State Secretariat completely free of single-use plastics by August 15, 2025, and aims to extend the ban across the entire State by June 5, 2026.
The initiative follows a call from Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu to promote environmental sustainability and safeguard public health.
Principal Secretary of Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MA&UD), S Suresh Kumar, announced the initiative during a training session for Mandal Liaison Officers (MLOs) on Friday.
He highlighted the harmful effects of single-use plastics, citing microplastic pollution as a growing threat linked to various cancers and health risks for both humans and animals.
As part of immediate measures, the sale and use of plastic bottles, cups, plates, sachets, stickers, and carry bags will be banned within the Secretariat. RO water plants will be installed in all blocks, and employees will receive stainless-steel bottles. Three-colored bins will also be introduced for proper waste segregation.
Swachh Andhra Corporation MD B Anil Kumar Reddy said a Secretariat Plastic-Free Task Force has been formed under the leadership of the GAD Principal Secretary to oversee the implementation.
Training for MLOs and vendors has already been completed. Promotional campaigns will launch on August 5, partial enforcement begins on August 11, and the full ban takes effect on August 15.
Officials appealed to all Secretariat employees to support the initiative by adopting eco-friendly alternatives, positioning the Secretariat as a model for the Andhra Pradesh’s larger mission to eliminate single-use plastics by 2026.