The civic body through the Coimbatore Smart City Limited launched eco-friendly plastic bags that could serve as an alternative to plastic bags.
Municipal Administration and Water Supply Minister S.P. Velumani launched the bag in the presence of Corporation Commissioner K. Vijayakarthikeyan and Police Commissioner K. Periaiah at SRP Ammani Ammal School.
Addressing the gathering, the Minister said that the in the first phase, the Corporation would sell about 2.30 lakh bags, which it had procured at ₹5.48 lakh.
The civic body had also spoken to restaurants, hotels and commercial establishments to encourage them to switch over to the alternative bags. Many have effected the change and others were in the process of doing so.
After the Municipal Solid Waste Management Rules 2016 came into effect, plastic bags with less than 50 micron thickness were banned in the city.
Mr. Vijayakarthikeyan said plastic bags were a problem in that the drains get choked when people who used the bags dumped those on the roads. Rather than talking about the problem alone, the Corporation had come forward and provided a solution.
The bags were water soluble and would decompose within three to four months, he added.
