Hyderabad: Bid to turn city plastic-free

Hyderabad: With an aim to address the plastic menace in the city, a software engineer has been organising several initiatives to make people aware of the harm in the single-use plastic bags.

Ramu Dosapati, 38, a resident of LB Nagar, has been conducting several initiatives and challenges in order to make Hyderabad, a plastic-free city. Ramu has been conducting initiatives like #tiffinboxchallenge, Bhoomibachao and exchange of saplings with plastic bags.

#tiffinboxchallenge

Ramu Dosapati started this challenge in April 2017. He urges meat buyers to carry tiffin boxes instead of taking a plastic bag.

Speaking to The Hans India, Ramu says, "Over 10 lakh families go to buy meat in Hyderabad, especially on Sunday. The plastic that they use to carry this meat is affecting us, as they are not being disposed of properly. So I tell them to get a tiffin box from their home. The meat shops are usually nearby, so I think, they can carry tiffin boxes."

The shop keepers are also supporting him in this initiative. If a customer brings a tiffin box, they get two eggs free. Ramu ensured that he would make an interesting jute bag so that the customers are motivated. He says that the bag would be made by using Pochampally silk and Ikkat cloth material.

Exchange of saplings with plastic bags

In 2019, he started this campaign, where he asked people to bring plastic bags to him and he would give them a sapling. He later stopped it as people from faraway places were coming on motor vehicle, which is again a cause of air pollution.

He says, "They are coming in their cars, from faraway places, which will again lead to lot of pollution, which I don't want. As of now I have stopped the initiative. However, there are many people who have come forward and taken this initiative forward in their colonies."

Bhoomibachao

This campaign was started in November 2017 and is done in the weekly markets in areas like Chanakyapuri, Nagole, Mansoorabad and Meerpet. In this initiative, Ramu takes his hand-made bags all over in the market and tries to attract people i, to take the vegetables in their cloth bag instead of plastic bags. Speaking on this initiative, Ramu says, "I have asked the vendors in the markets not to give plastic bags to the customers by explaining them how harmful will it be for everyone. Many vendors have helped me in this initiative and not provided plastic bags to the customers. The initiative is so far has got a positive response."