Environment Day: Gujarat govt announces measures to beat plastic pollution

plastic-gujarat-ap An Indian worker carries used plastic bottles for recycling, at a railway station on World Environment Day in Ahmedabad | AP

The Gujarat government on Tuesday announced that the cost of collecting waste PET bottles for recycling has been increased from 30 paise to one rupee per bottle, for rag pickers and others.

At a state-level programme organised in Gandhinagar's Mahatma Mandir to celebrate the World Environment Day, Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani announced a series of steps to “Beat Plastic Pollution to Save Environment”.

Making a mention that the state government was committed to plastic recycling to save the environment from plastic waste, Rupani said that the state would witness a large scale installation of reverse vending machines to recycle PET bottles used for packaged drinking water and beverages.

The administrative and tender process is expected to begin in a week's time.

Based on the suggestion by a high level expert committee, plastic bags of less than 50 microns would also be banned, he said.

On Monday, Rajkot Municipal Commissioner, Banchhanidhi Pani, had announced ban of plastic water pouches on 48 public roads, gardens and government offices in Rajkot city.

In a state-wide drive that extends till June 11, the authorities were asked to ensure that plastic waste does not get choked in drainages, nullahs, rivulets and rivers.

Plastic waste contributes the most to the flooding during monsoon. Even major cities in the state get flooded due to the clogging of drainages and storm water drains. With monsoon hardly a fortnight away, little has been done across the state to clean the drainages and storm water drains.

New roads have been laid or resurfacing have been done in such a manner that the height of the existing roads increase. With either side of the roads have not been touched and water logging seems to be certain.