The district administration has launched a massive drive to free the district from the menace of plastics and has begun recruiting 12,000 ‘green warriors’ – volunteers to inform, educate and communicate (IEC) one-to-one with the public to achieve the task.

Launching the drive with a signature campaign and logo release recently, Minister for Khadi and Village Industries Board G. Baskaran and Collector G. Latha impressed upon the people to say ‘no’ to plastics, segregate solid waste at the doorstep and avoid open defecation to make the district clean and green.

The district had three lakh households and there would be one green warrior for every 25 households to inform, educate and communicate with the people on the danger posed by plastic wastes and the need to avoid open defecation.

“The process of recruiting green warriors is going on in full swing and we will launch the ICE programme next week,” Ms Latha said. Simultaneously, the warriors, mostly members of women self help groups, non-governmental organisations and Nehru Yuva Kendras would educate the people on the need to segregate degradable and non-degradable solid wastes at their doorstep and opt for individual toilets.

All those who were interested in making the district green and clean could become green warriors. A massive awareness campaign with a series of cultural events, competitions, marathons and wall paintings would be launched at all levels in rural and urban local bodies, the Collector said.

After month-long IEC, the district administration, with the help of sponsors, proposed to distribute cloth bags to the people and persuade them to avoid using plastics during the whole of February before initiating penal actions in March, B. Kanchana, Project Director, District Rural Development Agency, said.

As part of the awareness campaign, Ms. Latha addressed churches and jamats on Sunday as part of eliciting the support of all sections of society. A Rangoli competition had been arranged for January 12 and the winners would be given 1, 2 and 4 gms of gold, said officials.