Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s decision to ban use of plastic flexies has left hundreds of flexi printers and the employees working in the sector in lurch in Visakhapatnam. Facing a bleak future, the members of the printers association are likely to conduct a meeting very soon to discuss their plan of action.
According to the printers, political representatives, educational institutions, advertising agencies and government offices apart from people celebrating marriages and other events are their major customers. Already due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the printing sector has seen a sharp decline in business over the last two years.
“We welcome the decision of the Chief Minister. But we seek some time for the change and a viable alternative. The printing cost of one sq. foot of plastic flexi may range between ₹10 and ₹15, but in case of cloth flexi, it may vary between ₹30 and ₹50. Image detailing on the plastic flexi has good clarity and better visibility compared to that on cloth. Moreover, plastic ones last long. Apart from politicians, we do not see people coming forward to have cloth flexi in future. Printing on cloth is a costly affair and many may not come forward. So there should be an alternative,” said Abdul (name changed), a flexi printer from MVP Colony.
President of Visakhapatnam District Printing Association and owner of Elite Sign Makers Trinadh Rao said that there are about 160 printing machines in Visakhapatnam. Ninty per cent of owners of the stores have procured these machines which cost about ₹15 to ₹20 lakh by borrowing loans from various banks and are paying EMIs. “The ban decision may financially hit us hard,” he said.
Some of the printing operators do not see flexies as an addition to plastic pollution in the environment. Though the main motto of the ban is to fight plastic, there are very small chances of someone dumping flexies in drains or dustbins, they say, adding that after usage, people generally again use them as tarpaulin covers or some household purpose rather than dumping them.
Two months ago, Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation Commissioner G. Lakshmisha had conducted a meeting with people involved in flexi printing and urged them to gradually move towards cloth flexies, in view of ongoing plastic ban in Visakhapatnam. The members have sought time of about four to five months and they have urged the civic body to see if the flexies can be recycled. After sudden announcement of the Chief Minister over the ban, the flexi printers associations may meet authorities concerned soon.
Mr. M. Murali Krishna of United Digitals and Advisor of Visakhapatnam District Printing Association said that there is a severe scarcity of cloth for flexi printing in the market, which should be addressed first. “Without proper availability of cloth, we may not be able to commit on orders,” he said.
“We respect the Chief Minister’s vision towards environment. However, we should have been given some more time to come up with alternatives. We are planning to meet GVMC Commissioner soon over the issue,” he said
