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MCC premises to be plastic-free zone

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The Hindu        21.11.2014  

MCC premises to be plastic-free zone

Concept will be extended to all nine zonal offices: Betsurmath

Mayor R. Lingappa and councillors taking an oath to desist from using plastic in the Mysore City Corporation office on Thursday.— PHOTO: M.A. SRIRAM
Mayor R. Lingappa and councillors taking an oath to desist from using plastic in the Mysore City Corporation office on Thursday.— PHOTO: M.A. SRIRAM

The tourist city is going all out to emerge as a plastic-free destination. After the authorities declared places of tourist interest like the Chamundi Hills, palace and zoo as a plastic-free zone, the Mysore City Corporation (MCC) has banned the use of plastic on its premises with effect from Thursday.

Consequently, there will be no use of plastic sheets or stationery wrapped in plastic, plastic files, bags, water bottles or drinking cups. Those entering the premises will have to deposit any plastic material in a special bin provided for the purpose.

MCC Commissioner C.G. Betsurmath said the concept of plastic-free zones will be extended to all nine zonal offices.

Mayor R. Lingappa, elected councillors and staff took an oath to desist from using plastic as it was harmful to the environment.

The authorities said they were systematically enforcing the Plastic Waste (Management and Handling) Rules 2011 related to authorisation, manufacturing, recycling and disposal of plastic and creating public awareness in this regard.

Frequent raids have been conducted in the city by the MCC to discourage manufacturers and sellers from seizing plastic bags below 40 microns.

Social activist Vasanthkumar Mysoremath said it was easier to declare an office premise as plastic-free. But the need of the hour was to reduce the use of plastic in the entire city.

He said the city should be declared plastic-free given the environmental hazards of the material. In Mysuru, there are scores of departmental stores and thousands of people who use plastic bags daily. “The MCC has no idea where all these plastic goes and hence the authorities should target high-end departmental stores, which is patronised by a large number of people,: he said. While the authorities have been successful in minimising plastic menace at the zoo and palace, it has been the same at Chamundi Hills.

 

NDMC paints kerbs red & green

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The Times of India        07.10.2014  

NDMC paints kerbs red & green

 

NEW DELHI: New Delhi Municipal Council is painting the central verges red and green in Lutyens' Delhi. Recently, NDMC had put reflector strips between every pair of kerbstones. But the reflector strips have started coming off at several places. Road safety experts said that instead of using reflector strips, the civic agency should use reflective paint as it is easier to maintain.

The medians on Shahjahan Road have been painted red and green. Sources say the strips were put after objections from Delhi Traffic Police. When TOI visited the area on Monday, many of these were dislodged. "We had told NDMC that they will have to put reflector strips if they use any colour other than yellow, white and black on medians. The idea behind painting medians is to make the dividers discernible. The paint should reflect light,'' said a traffic official.

Though there is no standard colour combination for medians, experts recommended reflective paints. They said dark colours shouldn't be used because they absorb light. "Civic agencies can use any colour they like but it should be a reflective paint. The purpose of painting road dividers is defeated otherwise. What's the point of painting dividers if they have to put reflector strips,'' said Rohit Baluja, president of Institute of Road Traffic Education.

NDMC chairman Jalaj Shrivastava said, "We have used colours of sandstone and greenery. We are putting reflector strips." As for reflector strips coming off, Shrivastava said he will get that checked.

Sources said the agency plans to go ahead with the red-and-green colour scheme. "We had conducted a trial run last year. Now, it will be done in the entire Lutyens' Delhi. We have decided to put reflector strips everywhere," said an official.

Maintenance of reflector strips, experts said, is going to be a task. They stressed the need to standardize colours that can be used for road signage and warnings.

 

Dumping of plastic waste keeping people away from the beaches

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The Times of India        29.09.2014  

Dumping of plastic waste keeping people away from the beaches

KOZHIKODE: Littering of plastic waste on the Beach Road stretch starting from the Kozhikode Beach to Bhatt road beach is keeping the people away from the beaches. The beaches which were beatified utilising crores of fund under the Tsunami Rehabilitation Scheme are now turning out to be as place to dump the plastic waste after sunset.

Though the government had carried out the beautification of Thoppayil and Bhatt road beaches using the Tsunami Rehabilitation Funds, the people couldn't spend their leisure time in the evening at these beaches owing to absence of lights. The beaches are now turning out to be places for dumping of all types of wastes including plastic and household wastes. The people are learnt to be dumping the wastes after the sun set.

M Shoba, a resident near the Chungam said that earlier we used to come to the beach for the early morning walk. `` The site of piled up wastes on the road sides and on the beach actually forced us to change the route of our morning walk. We want the authority concerned take stern steps against those who engaged in littering wastes on the road and beach sides,'' she said.

Thoppayil ward councilor T Sujan said that Thoppayil beach and surrounding areas will be cleaned on the day of October 2. `` The issue is already brought to the attention of the corporation office,'' he said.

Meanwhile, Corporation health standing committee chairperson Janamma Kunjunni said that the civic body has decided to take stern action against those who engage in dumping plastic waste. `` The civic body will ban the plastic waste below 40 microtone and planning to bring down the use of plastic waste in a phased manner. Huge fine will also be imposed against those who found to be littering plastic wastes in public places. A decision in this regard will be taken at a council meeting to be held in the month of October,'' said the health standing committee chairperson.

 

 


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