The Hindu : Mangalore trying to wriggle out of plastic menace

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Feb 17, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka - Mangalore

Mangalore trying to wriggle out of plastic menace

By M. Raghuram

MANGALORE, FEB. 16. Despite the steps being taken by the authorities concerned to contain the plastic menace, the city is yet to become plastic free.

While an anti-plastic group has been working in this regard for over a year now, whatever little success it has achieved has only been appreciated by environmental groups.

A coordinated campaign initiated by the group received good response from Mangaloreans as it succeeded to a large extent in spreading awareness among the people about the hazardous effects of plastic. But the people's interest to sustain the campaign appears to have waned, and it is not uncommon to see plastic carry bags and other items littered on the roads. This has goaded many to believe that any campaign launched to free Mangalore of plastic should be taken to its logical end.

According to a rough estimate, Mangalore city consumes 10 tonnes of non-recyclable plastic every month. Some overzealous shopkeepers even hand over plastic carry bags without being asked for one. This is in sharp contrast to what happens in Bangalore, where even big shops display slogans against the use of plastic carry bags.

But since carry bags are littered across the streets of Mangalore, the Mangalore City Corporation has a tough time cleaning up the clogged drains in the city, particularly during the monsoon.

According to the Commissioner of the corporation, the municipal workers have to work overtime before the commencement of the monsoon to ensure that storm water drains are not clogged by discarded plastic.

Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working for a "plastic-free Mangalore" initiated a campaign to contain the plastic menace. As a part of the campaign, every household in the city coming in the corporation limits was told about the advantages of separating plastic from biodegradable waste before disposing it off. Under the first phase of the campaign, huge bins were placed at vantage places in the city, where the bags containing plastic could be deposited.

As a part of the campaign, street plays were organised on the hazards of using plastic bags, in market places and in the vicinity of supermarkets in the city. The volunteers also met shopkeepers to apprise them of the problems posed by plastic bags and asked them to use paper bags instead. An awareness programme was also organised for educating the members of ward committees by inviting eminent resource persons from Bangalore, Chennai, and Trivandrum to take part in it. A unique "Find the alternative to plastic" contest was also organised to strengthen the anti-plastic drive.

But when one thought that the campaign had started yielding results, plastic seems to have returned.

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