COIMBATORE: To curb the use of single-use plastic carry bags, the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board installed ‘Manjappai’ vending machines at several locations in the city as part of a state-wide campaign.
However, some of the machines have been facing technical glitches, while many are not put to use.
K Vishwanathan, a social activist who checked the status of a few manjappai vending machines at some localities, said the machine installed at the corporation vegetable market near Ukkadam had been unused for more than six months due to technical issues.
He added, “The objective behind setting up these machines under the state government’s ‘Meendum Manjappai’ initiative, is to promote the use of cloth bags and reduce the use of banned plastics. The machines are installed at important places where cloth bags are needed. Whereas in some places, the coins get stuck in the machine and users lose their money, the machines are left abandoned in other places like Ukkadam. Easy availability of single-use plastic covers has also worsened the situation.”
“Steps should be taken to operate the machines properly and plastic usage should also be prevented. Along with it, awareness about the use of cloth bags must be created among the public,” he further said.
When TNIE asked about it, a senior official from the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board, said that they had installed the vending machines across the city and four of them were given to the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC).
The official added, “The machines given to the local body are facing complaints frequently. So, we have asked them to return those machines to us for maintenance. It is true that the machines across the state were facing technical glitches a few months ago. We appointed a private firm to maintain the machines and the issue is almost sorted out. We will look into the issues and resume operation of the machines that are lying idle.”