The Deputy Commissioner, (DC) Baramulla, Dr Syed Sehrish Asgar today exhorted upon the authorities to scale up activities at different levels to completely eliminate the single use plastic (SUP) from the district.The DC issued these directions during a review meeting chaired by her in order to take the appraisal of progress cum performance regarding the elimination of SUP.
The meeting was attended by Additional Deputy Commissioner Baramulla Zahoor Ahmad Raina,Joint Director Planning M Yosuf Rather, Assistant Commissioner Development Yaar Ali Khan, Assistant Commissioner Panchayat Gulzar Ahmad Khan, Chief Executive officer municipal Committee Sopore Tariq Ahmad, Tehsildar HQ Syed Basharat, District Pollution control officer and other officers.
At the outset, threadbare discussions were held on the action plan of Plastic Waste Management during which different means and measures were discussed in this regard.Reviewing the progress, the DC directed the Officer to launch a massive awareness campaign in all educational institutions with active participation of students to discourage the use of single-use plastic in their areas.
She also directed to explore possibilities for using alternatives for the plastic.The departments were asked to stop the use and selling of single use plastic and use its alternate in offices as well as in homes.The DC further directed to forward the name of one village in each Block so that the same is declared as plastic free village.
She said that such an initiative shall encourage the use of alternative to the plastic besides restoring the prestige and glory to our environment. Moreover, the DC directed the concerned Officers to strengthen the surveillance mechanism by constituting ground level checking squads and exhorted to take strict legal action against the defaulters.