Heaps of disposable cups, plates and plastic trashes thrown out of the venues of various private and public events will no more be a headache for Peruvayal panchayat. Because the panchayat authorities are planning to purchase and supply the required number of steel plates and glasses for each ward as an alternative.
Orders will be placed shortly to buy around 7,000 sets of steel plates and cups to be distributed among the 22 wards. Each ward will get at least 300 plates and 300 cups. The panchayat is yet to finalise the fee for the service as the main purpose is to reduce the generation of waste.
Y.V. Santha, president of the grama panchayat, says ward-level development committees will be responsible for the proper distribution and collection of plates and glasses. “The service can be used for any type of local gatherings and family functions including marriages and house-warming ceremonies. Sharing of the items too will be allowed to meet the additional requirements,” she adds.
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The person who takes the items will be responsible for cleaning and retuning them to the ward-level development committees. Ward members have been asked to popularise the idea in their regions and encourage the families to make use of the service at all possible venues.
The local body comes out with the innovative idea as part of its Clean Peruvayal scheme, which will be launched on January 27 by District Collector N. Prasanth. Under the Rs.20-lakh scheme, the panchayat is also planning to introduce a total ban on plastic carry bags in shops from April 1. As an effective alternative, Kudumbasree units will supply the required quantity of paper bags to local shops with the support of the panchayat.