Single-use plastic has been 'banned' several times in the city in the past but the use of such items continues. The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation and the erstwhile Krishna district administration banned and enforced the rule to a large extent in 2019. A gazette notification was also published in the Krishna District Gazette on August 21, 2019, and the rules and regulations for the ban on non-biodegradable plastics were framed.
Plastic covers, plates, disposable plastic cups, plastic papers, straws, thermocol, and water packets which are not useful for recycling were banned in the VMC limits then.
Municipal staff including sanitary inspectors, supervisors and others have been authorised to prevent and take necessary legal action against the violators who manufacture, store, transport, sell and use the prohibited plastic items within the city limits. The civic body also promoted alternative items made of alternative and eco-friendly materials in a big way.
All the progress made in six months was wasted as single-use plastics were back and largely useful during the COVID pandemic. The market was again flooded with single-use plastic products used for various purposes. Their indiscriminate disposal has been the root cause of the problem.
VMC has once again taken up enforcement of the plastic ban in the city. Additional Commissioner (Projects) K.V. Satyavathi, in a meeting with public health wing officials recently, said that plastic ban enforcement teams had been formed which would conduct inspections across the city every day. She said all officials and staff, including sanitary inspectors and supervisors, should inspect shops and establishments.
The civic body has been conducting various programmes to create awareness among the public.
The AP Pollution Control Board officials have recently seized over 16 tonnes of single-use plastic from a manufacturing unit in the district.
