The district administration has announced a reward for information on units manufacturing banned single-use plastic items.
The administration has instructed environment-conscious people to inform the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board about details of plastic industries manufacturing banned items illegally in residential/commercial areas. The complaints have to be conveyed to the office of District Environmental Engineer, Tamilnadu Pollution Control Board, Nagapattinam, through letter/mail (deenpm@tnpcb.gov.in)/ Phone (04365 250832)/ Mobile and Whatsapp (8056049500).
The complainants are requested to provide their name and mobile number so that additional details could be sought. This is also required to avoid prank calls. The confidentiality of the citizen providing information will be strictly maintained, Collector R. Lalitha said.
The government has banned manufacture, store, supply, transport, sale or distribute of use and throwaway plastics such as plastic carry bags irrespective of size and thickness, non-woven carry bags, plastic coated paper plates and cups, plastic tumblers, thermocol plates and cups, plastic tea cups, plastic sheet / cling film used for food wrapping, plastic sheet used for spreading on dining table water packets/pouches, plastic straw and plastic flags in order to prevent the huge threat of pollution caused by the single use plastics.
Though illegally-operated units manufacturing banned plastic items are identified and closed by TNPCB based on regular inspections and complaints, there are difficulties in identifying units operated illegally in a small space within residential/commercial establishments. Most of these units are highly unorganised without proper registration with any of the government authorities and function purely on a temporary basis, the Collector said.
