GVMC declares major tourist places in Visakhapatnam as plastic-free zones

Visitors will be asked to throw plastic items in dustbins before entering these locations, says Commissioner

GVMC Commissioner G. Lakshmisha announcing the plastic-free zones while distributing dustbins and public addressing system to the staff, at the GVMC Office in Visakhapatnam on Saturday. | Photo Credit: BY ARRANGEMENT

Now, get ready to pay fines if you dump plastic water bottles, bags, spoons and other sort of plastic items at major tourist spots in the city, as the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) has announced that major tourist places in the city has been declared as plastic-free zones.

GVMC Commissioner G. Lakshmisha said that the spots include R.K Beach, VUDA Park, All Abilities Park, Rushikonda, Thotlakonda, Kailasagiri and Tenneti Park.

“It has been decided to completely the ban usage of single-use palstic from June 5 under corporation limits. Now, we are announcing that major tourist spots as plastic-free zones. People are not allowed to bring plastic items into these locations, irrespective of the microns,” said Mr. Lakshmisha.

He said that the civic body will depute staff at the tourist spots who would ensure that the tourists and other visitors dump water bottles, plates, cups, spoons, sachets and other items made of plastic in dustbins before entering the venues. Inside the park, there would be a special officer.

“Announcements will be made through public addressing systems, boards will be arranged about the plastic-free zone inside the parks and people will be urged to leave the plastic wastes in dustbins. If still they carry plastic items, we will not hesitate to impose fines,” he added.

The GVMC is organising an official programme on Beach Road at 6 a.m. on the occasion of World Environment Day on Sunday in which District Collector A. Mallikarjuna will be participating. An Eco-Bazaar with environmental-friendly products will be also set up at the venue.

Announcing about the ban on single-use plastic in the civic body limits about 10 days ago, the GVMC has taken up a number of awareness programmes targeting street vendors, retailers, vegetable sellers and shopkeepers. The authorities themselves have distributed cloth bags to a number of traders in various public places, rythu bazaars and tourist places. Apart from it, wide publicity was given over the countdown for the complete plastic ban.

“We have 13 rythu bazaars in the city with approximately 1,300 shops in them. Apart from them, there are around 5,500 road side hawkers, 40,000 trade licence holders under the civic body. This is our target group and we have been massively conducting awareness programmes about the ban. The response from the people has been good,” Mr Lakshmisha added.