New Delhi: Union Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan on Tuesday emphasised the need to ban single-use plastic which is hazardous to nature.
While addressing to media in Delhi, Pawsan said that every year 95 tonnes of plastic waste is generated in India out of which 38 lakh is single-use plastic.
Single-use plastic will be banned with gradual steps: Paswan Single-use plastics, or disposable plastics, are used only once before they are thrown away or recycled. These items include the likes of plastic bags, straws, coffee stirrers, water bottles and most food packaging.
Paswan had earlier asked the officials to make alternate arrangements to ensure that the ban is effective. Moreover, the department said, it distributed cloth bags to employees to reduce the consumption of single-use plastics.
"Department of Fertilizers is committed to do its utmost efforts to reduce the consumption of single-use plastics. As these are non-biodegradable they pollute our environment," an official statement said.
An effective ban on single-use plastic can happen if an alternative is available in the market. Cloth or jute bags, locally tailored and produced, can be a viable alternative, an official statement said.
"Looking into such opportunities, Department of Fertilizers, during the Swachhata Pakhwada and Swachhata Hi Sewa campaign decided to distribute cloth bags produced by Women's Self-help Group Laxmi Devi Swasya Group of village Maragondanahalli Grama Panchayat Ramohalli district, Karnataka to its employees," the statement said.
The department termed it as a small step to reduce single-use plastic usage and, to make people aware of a viable alternative, while at the same time to improve the income and livelihood of rural women of India.
The government plans to ban plastic bags, cups, plates, small bottles, straws and certain types of sachets and the restriction will cover manufacturing, usage and import.
In his Independence Day address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said steps would be taken from October 2 to make India free from single-use plastic.
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