Though the civic bodies, be it corporations, municipalities or panchayats, had in recent months put in place strict measures, prohibiting the use of plastic carry bags by traders and consumers, there has largely been no impact in Chittoor district.
Ever since the election code has come into force in March, there has almost been no monitoring on the polythene material at all public places due to lack of manpower.
In the Chittoor corporation limits, the use of plastic carry bags is going on unchecked at the vegetable and fish markets, generating a huge waste of the prohibited material. The Ganga Jatara on May 14 and 15 is expected to see more dumping of plastic material at public places, as water and buttermilk sachets are distributed free to devotees who turn up in large numbers.
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Spurt in sale
With temperature touching 45 degrees Celsius in the district, the sale of water sachets and water and beverage bottles has peaked, aggravating the situation further. Littered with disposed bottles and sachets, the surroundings of the bus stand, bus stops and arterial junctions present a dirty picture.
The sale of plastic glasses has no check at petty shops in the vicinity of liquor outlets. A similar situation prevails at the district hospital and several other private hospitals in the town.
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In spite of campaigns by the civic bodies urging the public to use either paper bags or cloth ones, and also carry with them these eco-friendly material while going to markets, the response from the public is said to be below 10%. As a result, vendors are forced to supply plastic bags to customers. “If I can’t provide a carry bag, a customer will go to the next shop which gives him one. We aren’t worried about fines, as our business is at stake,” is the general response from shop owners.
Abandoned plastic material could be found in dumps in rural areas all over the district.
Busy mandal headquarters such as Piler, Punganur, Palamaner, Puttur, Nagari and Madanapalle have seen a spurt in the plastic waste generation in the last couple of months.
Lack of dumping yards
Civic authorities estimate that on a daily basis each household uses three to four plastic carry bags, and throw the same outside the next morning. Lack of dumping yards in several panchayats and municipalities has added to the problem and vacant plots in many colonies have turned into mini-dumping yards.
A senior official in the Chittoor Municipal Corporation observed that in spite of keeping a vigil, they were unable to check the use of plastic carry bags. Though officials intend to levy heavy penalties on violators, ‘political pressures’ and humanitarian considerations towards petty vendors, come in the way.