The government is contemplating banning plastic bags having a 40-micron thickness, to be on par with the neighboring states.
The use of plastics in Tirumala will be totally and strictly banned, irrespective of thickness, within a month.
Even the laddu, currently supplied in plastic bags, will hereafter be supplied in bags made of cloth, paper or jute.
Chief Minister K Rosaiah directed the TTD to strictly adhere to these norms, during a review meeting of the AP Pollution Control Board (APPCB) with Minister for Forests and Environment, P Ramachandra Reddy, and top officials, at Secretariat.
Rosaiah, while expressing satisfaction over the functioning of the AP Pollution Control Board, asked it to be more vigilant and to act expeditiously.
Speaking after the review meeting, Ramachandra Reddy said that at present, a ban on plastic bags (less than 20 microns) was in force. He said that the government was contemplating banning plastic bags having a 40-micron thickness, to be on par with the neighboring states.
The plastic bags and glasses being utilized on Tirumala hills will be banned, and in their place, paper bags and glasses would be used, he added. The Chief Minister has instructed officials to see that a total ban on plastic usage comes into force on the holy hills in 30 days, he added.
The minister also said that it was decided, at the review meeting, to strengthen and increase the capacity of the sewerage treatment plants in the twin cities, and to ensure that no sewerage water is discharged into the river Musi and the Hussain Sagar by March 31 next year.
Reddy claimed that the Pollution Control Board was conducting raids on industries which were not implementing pollution control measures; 6 such erring industries have been closed down this week, he added.
The companies would be permitted to be reopened only after it was clear that they were implementing the norms and measures suggested by the PCB to reduce polluting discharges.
The minister said that the Chief Minister permitted the PCB to fill 38 vacant posts, and sanctioned 90 new technical posts, to meet the increasing work-load due to the rapid growth of industries in the State. Mentioning that 4 Task Force teams of the Pollution Control Board were functioning currently, he said that the government has decided to set up 2 more task force teams - one each in Kurnool and Visakhapatnam districts.
"It was also decided to initiate steps for the setting up of biomedical waste disposal units in small cities also. Currently, 14 such units have been permitted in the state," he added.
Courtesy: INN