Members, cutting across party lines, on Monday urged the administration to impose a total ban on plastics in the Union Territory.
Replying to a question raised by K Lakshminarayanan (Congress) and Ashok Anand (AINRC), Chief Minister N Rangasamy said that the administration had already imposed a ban on the use of plastic products less than 51 micron in thickness and that a large-scale unit was sealed for stocking the banned plastic, while a show cause notice was served on five stockists and an industrial unit.
Agreeing with Lakshminarayanan’s views on stagnation of water and choking of drainage due to plastics during rains, he said steps were being taken to clean the drains.
In addition to two machines, another machine was being purchased, he said.
He also said that some hotels were dumping their solid wastes into the drains, resulting in blockage.
The drains here were being cleaned at a cost of Rs 28 crore, he added.
Congress member E Valsaraj pointed out that the orders of the government in 2009 banning the use of plastics could not be implemented due to the absence of the necessary machineries to check the thickness of plastic and lack of manpower.
It would be better to impose a total ban on plastics, Congress member E Valsarajsaid.
NR Congress member Ashok Anand also demanded a total ban on plastics.
AIADMK Floor leader A Anbazhagan alleged that there were irregularities in garbage clearance.
Garbage was being cleared once in five days in a particular area and only on main roads. Arterial roads were being neglected, he added.