All panchayats in the district will be asked to install a Plastic Shredding Unit as part of the ongoing Mass Action for Plastic-waste-free Kozhikode, (MAP), District Collector P.B. Salim has said.
Addressing newspersons at the Collectorate conference hall here on Tuesday, Dr. Salim said directions to this effect would be issued during the special District Planning Committee (DPC) meeting on Friday. Stating that the project would cost just above Rs.4 lakh for each panchayat, the Collector said the expense could be met either by including it as a project under the People's Plan Campaign or from respective panchayat funds. Recurring expense of the unit, which is estimated to be around Rs.46,000 a month could easily be recovered by selling the shredded plastic from each unit, he said.
Stating that the campaign (MAP) was progressing at various levels in the district in an ‘impressive' way, Dr. Salim maintained that the project had its thrust on three major things namely, ‘strict enforcement' of the ban on selling plastic products below 30 microns, measures to minimise the use of plastic throwaways (disposable glasses, plates, carry bags, flags and festoon), and systematic recycling. “The whole drive is essentially about giving up a dangerous habit (of indiscriminately using plastic) and starting a more organic way of life with minimum use of plastic for a better tomorrow,” he said.
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Maintaining that great advances had been made in the direction of hitting upon a viable alternative for plastic carry bags, Dr. Salim said that a multipurpose non-plastic carry-bag, which can be used as a wallet as well as a carry-bag, was developed for this purpose, which would soon be available in the market. “We have also decided to distribute a few thousand of these bags free-of-cost to the public with the help of sponsors,” he said.
The sustainability of MAP, after declaring Kozhikode a plastic-waste-free district on January 30, would be given heightened importance, the collector said.
“Installation of recycling units at key centres and deploying ‘Green Guards' at tourist spots, including beaches and the ghat road to Wayanad, to prevent littering, are some of the steps planned,” he said.
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“Observance of a ‘Quit-plastic Day on January 22 and the formation of a human-chain across the district to take an oath against plastic-waste are the other steps planned,” he said. The website, plasticfreecalicut.com will post details and updates of the project.