AP to be plastic-free by 2027

Visakhapatnam: The Andhra Pradesh government is moving towards making the state plastic-free by 2027 and would set an example in the country, said Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.

Exchanging an MoU with New York-based NGO Parley for the Oceans at Andhra University Convention Centre here on Friday, the CM said that plastic flexies have been banned with immediate effect and they should be replaced with fabric ones as a first step towards eradicating plastic.

Jagan Mohan Reddy said the environment and economy were two sides of the same coin and laid stress on having long-term goals.

Further, he said 70 per cent of the oxygen on the earth comes from marine plants and the rest from the forest. He said people should be aware of the facts and consider measures to conserve the environment.

The Chief Minister said the plastic waste is spreading up to 40-50 km into the sea and the Andhra Pradesh government is taking steps towards in finding a permanent solution to curb the same. As part of it, the government has partnered with Global Alliance for a Sustainable Planet (GASP) and Parley for the Oceans.

The Chief Minister announced that Parley Future Institute is coming up in Visakhapatnam. The research work required to find alternative material for plastic incorporating latest methods will be done at the institute, he added.

Similarly, a recycling and up-cycling hub will be set up in AP to make recycled products such as shoes and glasses from plastic waste, Jagan Mohan Reddy mentioned. As a part of the project, Rs 16,000 crore would be invested in the next six years and about 20,000 locals would get employed in it.

Earlier, the CM visited exhibition stalls put up by Parley and GVMC and tried on pair sunglasses. The CM also showed keen interest in knowing the details of other products made of recycled plastic waste, including shoes.

Speaking on the occasion, minister for municipal administration and urban development Audimulapu Suresh said drawing inspiration from the mega beach clean up drive held in Vizag, the state government plans to organise even bigger event across the AP coast, involving 2.5 lakh volunteers. Former vice-chairman of NITI Aayog Rajeev Kumar, GASP secretary general Satya S Tripathi, CEO of Parle for the Oceans Cyrill Gutsch, Ministers B Mutyala Naidu, G Amarnath and V Rajini, MPs, MLCs and MLAs were present.