THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Pathanamthitta, which is piloting many a health projects such as prevention of lifestyle diseases and care for the aged, is now going to be a plastic-free district from November 14, just before the onset of the Sabarimala pilgrimage.While the idea of ‘Plastic-free Pathanamthitta’ has been conceived by district collector P Venugopal, it is being implemented by a whole lot of organisations spearheaded by the ‘Suchitwa Mission’. Funds are being released to buy back plastic bags from homes, plastic shredders are being set up in Kudumbashree units and moves are on to set up machines that can manufacture alternatives to plastic bags, which the authorities claim is bio-degradable. The municipality has already started the war against plastic by conducting a raid on traders to seize plastic carry bags less than 40 microns in thickness. The shop-keepers have been fined Rs 5,000 each. “On November 10, we have a one-day campaign with the participation of Kudumbashree, Asha workers, NGOs and even students who will remove all visible plastic from the district,” said P A Mohammed Salim, assistant district co-ordinator of Suchitwa Mission, Pathanamthitta. Three plastic shredder units are being set up at three Kudumbashree centres in Perunadu, Pampa and Pandalam. All the 54 community development societies of Kudumbashree have been given funds to buyback plastic bags from homes at the rate of Rs 10 a kg of plastic.The block panchayats will be given a subsidy of 50 per cent to set up manufacturing units of alternative bags. The societies are being formed and it will be through these societies that the alternative bags will be sold. Sabarimala pilgrims who carry plastic bags will be asked to hand them back by Vana Samrakshana Samithi volunteers. Vehicles of pilgrims from outside the state will be stopped at eight check-posts and if plastic bags are found, they will be taken away. However, the pilgrims will be given an alternative GSM bag, which is said to be biodegradable.The VSS volunteers will check vehicles coming into the state at Plappilly, Ranni, Perunad, Pandalam, Aranmula, Thiruvalla, Enath and Vadasserikkara. They will also monitor all the main roads from neighbouring states.However, plastic bottles, will be allowed entry as no other alternative is currently in sight. The authorities feel that even the State Government’s initiative of Sabari will not be able to meet the humongous demand. The production of Sabari mineral water, the bottles of which are taken back for Re 1,is yet to be scaled up to meet the demands of the pilgrims.
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