SunCorp

The Kerala Government today decided to bar restaurants and hotels from selling eatables in plastic carry bags from September one.

The decision was taken at a high level meeting attended by Local Administration Minister Paloli Mohammadkutty and Health Minister P K Sreemathy, an official release said here.

Stringent actions, including cancellation of license of the hotels that sold eatables in plastic carry bags, would be taken to effectively implement the ban.

An awareness campaign against the use of plastics would be held throughout the state from September one, the release said and added that the decision was taken as these solid wastes posed a threat to the health of the people. A ban on plastic cups and glasses in weddings and parties would also come into force, it said.

The use of plastics in colleges and hostels would be controlled.
Amendments would be made in the existing Waste Management Act and strong action would be taken against the persons and Institutions that violated it, it said and added hotels, auditoria and hospitals should develop their own ways to dispose the wastes.

Health and Sanitary Committees would be formed in all the panchayats in this regard, the release added.

Its time this decision of the Kerala government is enforced strictly, because as the population increases the amount of waste generated is increasing day by day, and plastic bags are being burnt in the middle of Calicut city as you will see in the image, I was witness to this and believe me the smell was so overpowering that one could not breathe.

Lets hope that the plastic bags menace goes out of our lives, the sooner the better.