Streets around Meenakshi temple to turn a plastic-free zone

Madurai Corporation plans to implement ban with effect from January 1

School students are taking out a rally against the use of plastic bags in Madurai on Wednesday.— Photo: S. James

Madurai Corporation has embarked on an ambitious project of banning plastic carry bags of less than 50 microns thickness on the streets around Sri Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple with effect from January 1, 2017.

Ahead of implementing the ban, the Corporation began to sensitise people coming to the temple and the shopkeepers on Chithirai Streets with a rally by students of various Corporation schools on Wednesday.

“When plastic materials can be banned in Tirumala temple, it can also be implemented here,” Corporation Commissioner Sandeep Nanduri said.

Stating that the Corporation would adopt a three-pronged strategy, he said the first would be of creating awareness among end users of carry bags about the evils of plastics.

“We need to educate people that they can carry cloth bags or paper bags that are environment-friendly before actually implementing it,” he said.

In the second step, the shops that are giving carry bags to its customers for carrying their goods would be told to stop distributing plastic bags below 50 micron thickness. In the third step, those shops selling plastic products would be asked to stop it.

“When the ban is imposed, we are planning to impose fine on the violators, both the users of plastic carry bags as well as those giving or selling them. The fine amount may start from Rs. 500,” he said.

The ban will be imposed on Chithirai, Masi, Avani Moola Streets and Veli Streets.

Pamphlets would be issued to the devotees and shopkeepers at regular intervals. Besides banners would be put up at the railway junction and Periyar bus stand to tell people coming to the city from other places about the plastic-free zone in and around the temple, he added.

The Collector, K. Veera Raghava Rao, and the Commissioner flagged off the rally. They also handed over cloth bags to devotees who were carrying plastic bags.

A competition among Corporation school students would be conducted and those who collected highest number of plastic carry bags from their neighbourhood would be honoured, Mr. Nanduri said.