Slow and steady, Trichy hopes to weed out plastic
During the raid in Srirangam and Thiruvanaikaval areas, more than 1,000 kg of plastic products such as carry bags, cups etc were seized. However, the enforcement did not stop vendors in other areas of the city from selling the products. For example, some shops near Gandhi Market are still selling plastic products below 20 microns unmindful of the consequences.
Vendor
B Sunil blamed the officials for not taking stringent action against
plastic manufacturers and instead punishing vendors by seizing the
products. "When the officials abandon the raid after a few days, the
situation goes back to what it was. People are also reluctant to pay
heed to the health and environmental hazards although some have started
preferring paper cups and plates," he said. As of now, he sourced
plastic items from factories in Dindigul district.
Another wholesaler Ajay said that officials often did not have a machine to measure the plastic micron level and seized even the quality products. Meanwhile, people had slowly started purchasing paper products from the past three months, he said.
According to the Trichy corporation, the raids on plastic had been put on hold for a few months. But they had again resumed the drive following the collector's order and passed a resolution to impose a fine from Rs 100 to Rs 10,000 for using plastics below 40 microns. Around four tonnes of plastic had been collected through raids for the past few months. They will be utilised for laying plastic roads in the corporation limit.
V Subbu, assistant commissioner of corporation, Srirangam zone who led the raid said that they could measure the micron level with a finger touch. He added that they would extend the raid in other areas of the city as well. The corporation advocated the use of paper products instead of plastics below 40 microns, he said.
Dr K C Sekaran, city health officer (CHO) of Trichy corporation said that the continuous use of plastic products could lead to ulcers as well as cancer while the smoke from burning plastic adversely affected the ozone layer. He urged people to stop using plastic products and said that officials could not bring about a change on their own unless the people co-operated. The corporation also has a plan to buy a few machines to cut the plastic into pieces to sell it for reuse.
state president of Tamil Nadu Youth Exnora, Trichy advocated non-woven polypropylene bags as an alternative to both plastic and paper products. They had distributed more than 10,000 bags to people during the Vaikunta Ekadasi festival in Srirangam this year. However, such items are not available in Trichy district.
K Kalidass, president of the Trichy and Pudukkottai district plastic manufacturers and traders association demanded that corporation officials should use a machine to measure the micron level. There are around five manufacturing units in Trichy and Pudukkottai and they comply with the rules and manufacture only above 40 micron products, he said.
District collector Jayashree Muralidharan said that they had commenced the drive in two tourist spots and would extend it to other areas as well. But since it was purchased from other districts, they could not ban the manufacturing units. People are aware of the plastic menace and the enforcement would bring about a change, she said.
Another wholesaler Ajay said that officials often did not have a machine to measure the plastic micron level and seized even the quality products. Meanwhile, people had slowly started purchasing paper products from the past three months, he said.
According to the Trichy corporation, the raids on plastic had been put on hold for a few months. But they had again resumed the drive following the collector's order and passed a resolution to impose a fine from Rs 100 to Rs 10,000 for using plastics below 40 microns. Around four tonnes of plastic had been collected through raids for the past few months. They will be utilised for laying plastic roads in the corporation limit.
V Subbu, assistant commissioner of corporation, Srirangam zone who led the raid said that they could measure the micron level with a finger touch. He added that they would extend the raid in other areas of the city as well. The corporation advocated the use of paper products instead of plastics below 40 microns, he said.
Dr K C Sekaran, city health officer (CHO) of Trichy corporation said that the continuous use of plastic products could lead to ulcers as well as cancer while the smoke from burning plastic adversely affected the ozone layer. He urged people to stop using plastic products and said that officials could not bring about a change on their own unless the people co-operated. The corporation also has a plan to buy a few machines to cut the plastic into pieces to sell it for reuse.
state president of Tamil Nadu Youth Exnora, Trichy advocated non-woven polypropylene bags as an alternative to both plastic and paper products. They had distributed more than 10,000 bags to people during the Vaikunta Ekadasi festival in Srirangam this year. However, such items are not available in Trichy district.
K Kalidass, president of the Trichy and Pudukkottai district plastic manufacturers and traders association demanded that corporation officials should use a machine to measure the micron level. There are around five manufacturing units in Trichy and Pudukkottai and they comply with the rules and manufacture only above 40 micron products, he said.
District collector Jayashree Muralidharan said that they had commenced the drive in two tourist spots and would extend it to other areas as well. But since it was purchased from other districts, they could not ban the manufacturing units. People are aware of the plastic menace and the enforcement would bring about a change, she said.
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