The Wayanad district administration is gearing up to ban the use and supply of plastic products such as carrybags, disposable plates, thermocol disposable wares, and plastic disposable tumblers in the district from October 2.
Wayanad Collector B.S. Thirumeni on Thursday sought the cooperation of the public and merchant community to make the mission a big success as the ban envisaged to conserve the beauty of the hill district and avoid environmental hazards relating to plastic in the region, an ecological hot spot on the Western Ghats.
The ban order invoking Section 133 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, which empowers the district magistrate to prohibit or regulate any trade or occupation or keeping of any goods or merchandise if it is injurious to the health and physical comfort of the community. The order said wide use of such products was having an adverse impact on the health of people, apart from causing environmental hazards. Moreover, use of plastic products could lead to cancer and direct toxicity.
Carelessly dumped plastic waste could block sewage systems and rivers and reduce soil fertility also.
Earlier a District Development Committee meeting resolved that action should be taken to make the district plastic-free from October 2. It was resolved to take action for prohibiting the use of plastic carrybags, thermocol plates, and plastic disposable glasses in the district . However, plastic bags that constitute or form an integral part of packaging in which goods are sealed prior to use have been exempted from the ban.
