The Government has issued orders on Thursday directing all the municipal bodies to discontinue usage and stocking up of single use plastic items like drinking water in plastic and tetra bottles, single-use straws, plastic/styrofoam tea cups/containers etc., plastic below 50 micron plastic or plastic coated items and any other forms of single use /banned plastic.
The orders come within a day of the Municipal Administration Minister K.T. Rama Rao asking the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) to set an example by stopping use of plastic bottled water (and other such plastic items) in work places immediately and instead go for environment friendly materials (including steel/ceramic glasses etc).
Municipal Administration & Urban Development Secretary Arvind Kumar also said no office shall be found to be in use or possession of below 50 micron plastic bags and that offices will follow twin bin system and dispose off plastic waste strictly in compliance with Solid Waste Management Rules 2000 and guidelines of Central Pollution Control Board.
The orders are to come into immediate effect, he said in his communication to all the heads of the departments under the Municipal Administration and to all the municipal commissioners in the State.
