From now on, employees of the Corporation will not be carrying their lunch in plastic carry bags to work.
The use of plastic carry bags has been strictly banned on its premises by the Corporation. The decision to impose the restrictions was announced at a function to observe International Plastic Bag Free Day on Thursday.
As part of civic body’s drive against use of carry bags, the councillors and staff were asked not to bring food items in plastic bags and those violating the order would be fined, Chairperson of standing committee for health S. Puspalatha said.
The civic body also requested heads of departments to restrict use of bags in government offices functioning within the Corporation limit.
It also asked the Education Department to assign projects to students promoting paper bags and creating awareness on ill effects of the use of plastic carry bags, she said.
Special squads would be formed to carry out inspection in shops, hotels, and other business establishments to check the sale of banned plastic items. “We will keep up the momentum against use of plastic by conducting surprise raids. Besides, we plan to conduct awareness programmes, especially among school and college students,” she said.
At the function, councillors and staff took a pledge not to use carry bags and to promote paper bags. The civic body also distributed paper bags to its staff and some among the public who had come to the Corporation to get their work done.
Mayor K. Chandrika; Deputy Mayor Happy Kumar; chairmen of various standing committees V.S. Padmakumar, P. Shyam Kumar, Palayam Rajan, K.S. Sheela, and Vanaja Rajendra Babu; leader of the United Democratic Front Johnson Joseph; Director of Suchitwa Mission K. Vasuki; and Corporation secretary Venkatesapathy S. attended the function.