Awareness campaigns, rallies held against use of plastic

District administrations on Saturday conducted awareness campaigns on cleanliness with the theme “Ending Plastic Pollution” as part of “Swarnandhra-Swacchandhra” drive in the State.

In Nandyal district, Minister for Minority Welfare N. Md. Farooq, Collector Rajakumari Gania and officials took part in an awareness campaign in the town. Speaking on the occasion, Ms. Gania urged the people from village to district level to maintain their surroundings to achieve “Swarnandhra-Swacchandhra”.

“Every individual should stop using plastic bags and disposables. People whose livelihood is dependent on making plastic items should be encouraged to manufacture jute and paper bags and everyone should use these products to curb extensive use of plastic,” the Collector said.

The Collector along with the Minister went around the town creating awareness about the ill-effects of plastic and also participated in a drive to clean the streets.

In Anantapur, District Collector Vinod Kumar V. led a rally in Bondalavada village of Narpala mandal to create awareness among the villagers on the ill-effects of plastic and urged them to keep the village clean.

Speaking on the occasion, he said that single use plastic has already been banned in Anantapur Municipal limits and the same will be implemented in villages too. He said they have started the process of disposing off the garbage in the Anantapur town and soon the entire district will be made Swachh Anantapur.

Mr. Kumar said that as part of ban on single use plastic, they have stopped using plastic water bottles in the Collectorate too.

Anantapur Urban MLA Daggupati Venkateswara Prasad led a rally in the town to create awareness against usage of plastic. The aim is to make the city plastic-free, he said, adding that they will promote use of cloth bags in a big way. Later, he distributed jute bags.

In Kurnool, police personnel across the district took cleanliness drive in the police station premises on the instructions of Superintendent of Police Vikrant Patel. The SP said that keeping the surroundings clean is the responsibility of each and every individual.