IDUKKI: As part of the Munnar panchayat’s mission to make the hill town waste-free, the local body has started distributing reusable plates and cups to the organisers of public events being held in the region. The decision comes in the wake of increasing deposits of disposable plates and cups at the panchayat’s garbage processing unit in Kallar.
“The local body has bought 500 plates and cups for this purpose. Depending on the requirement, more will be purchased in the coming days. The containers will be rented out to the organisers at a minimal cost. If necessary, we are ready to even distribute them free of cost,” said K N Sahajan, Munnar panchayat secretary.
The local body distributed the containers at a wedding ceremony held at the panchayat hall, a few days ago. “Normally, we bale and recycle the plastic waste collected from various parts of the town. But in the case of disposable containers, they can only be burnt. This has become a headache for the local body authorities,” said K N Sahajan, Munnar panchayat secretary.
To tackle the issue, the panchayat launched a campaign to curb the use of disposable containers in hotels and eateries. The tourists are encouraged to bring their own reusable plates if they wish to have food from picnic spots.
“At first, the hotels and eateries did not follow our directions completely. But we were firm on our stand. Now, they have switched to using reusable plates and glasses to distribute food items even on roadsides. The message was taken well,” said the panchayat secretary.
WhatsApp group to find littering spots
The panchayat has started a WhatsApp group, incorporating tourist guides, local taxi operators and residents, to identify the places in Munnar and nearby areas where illegal waste dumping is rampant.
“With the support of the WhatsApp group members, the authorities can trace the people who are dumping garbage irresponsibly. They will be fined,” said Sahajan. The local body has also opened a green check post near the Headwords Dam to collect the plastic waste being brought to the hill town by the tourists.