Plastic ban coming

Hyderabad: Telangana is likely to join the list of states which have banned single-use plastic. The government has in principle decided to impose ban on manufacture and sale of plastic in the state.

Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao made this announcement at the meeting of the district collectors held here on Thursday. Officials said that detailed modalities would be discussed at the next Cabinet meeting which is likely to be held after the byelections to Huzurnagar Assembly constituency. The officials have been directed to work out guidelines so that the Cabinet can discuss and approve the ban.

While Maharashtra happens to be among the states which had gone in for ban of plastic in March 2018, followed by Himachal Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, Telangana proposes to impose ban not only on single-use plastic but also its manufacture.

Officials said that the Katedan industrial area in the Greater Hyderabad limits is the hub of plastic manufacturing companies. The authorities will hold a meeting with all manufacturing companies and seek their cooperation to enforce the plastic ban.

Creation of alternative livelihoods to the workers of plastic manufacturing companies will also be addressed.

The officials said that more than 60 per cent of the solid waste generated in Hyderabad and other major municipal corporations is plastic.

Plastic menace has already emerged as a big environmental concern in Telangana, authorities said that the plastic products which are to be banned will be decided by the government and a notification would be issued soon.

It may be mentioned here that Telangana had already banned the single-use plastic bags in all municipalities as well as use and sale of polythene bags which have a thickness of less than 50 microns in the Greater Hyderabad limits.

The municipal authorities claim that they have been imposing fine against those who dump single-use plastic in public places.