Plastic has become threat to Environment, Use steel and Porcelain items Telangana CS

Hyderabad: Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari has called for a voluntary ban on the use of single-use plastic, which has become a danger to the environment. She emphasised the need for using steel and porcelain items instead of single-use plastic items.

A one-day workshop was held today at Dr. BR Ambedkar's Secretariat on banning the use of single-use plastic. Advisor to Government and Chairman Pollution Control Board Rajeev Sharma, Special Chief Secretaries, Principal Secretaries and Secretaries of various departments participated in the workshop.

As the government has already issued several orders on the ban of usage of plastic, officials were advised to set an example by voluntarily following the plastic ban at secretariat. She expressed concern that only 9 percent of the currently used plastic is being recycled and the rest of the plastic waste ends up in canals, ponds and river waters, posing a great threat to mankind. Already, 17 lakh self-help group women in 142 municipalities and corporations of the state are sensitizing citizens on single-use plastic ban. Plastic waste is being separated from garbage in every village.

The Chief Secretary exhorted that every officer and employee should set an example by voluntarily banning the use of single-use plastic in the Secretariat and using alternatives. Plastic is being used in water bottles, covers, plates, cups, glasses and straws, and instead of these, steel and porcelain items should be used. This cannot be possible only through government orders, but should be followed voluntarily with social responsibility.

Rajeev Sharma, Chairman of the Pollution Control Board and Advisor to the State Government, appealed to work individually with social responsibility to make the state a single-use plastic-free state. He informed that there are already committees at the district level on the ban of plastic and public awareness programs should be undertaken on a wider scale.

Later, Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari inaugurated an exhibition on alternative materials used in place of plastic goods. Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari and Government Advisor Rajeev Sharma unveiled a poster designed with the slogan of banning the use of plastic and saving the earth.