Shillong: Meghalaya chief minister Conrad K. Sangma aims to expand "plastic-free zone" to all government offices in the state.
Speaking at a World Environment Day function here on Tuesday, Conrad said the chief minister's office had been made a plastic-free zone from last week and this would be expanded to Meghalaya secretariat and other government offices throughout the state.
The function, based on this year's theme, Beat Plastic Pollution, was organised by the Meghalaya Basin Development Authority and the department of forest and environment.
Setting an example while urging people to reduce emission of carbon dioxide from vehicles, which is responsible for the rise in temperature, Conrad, accompanied by students, walked 7km from his residence to the venue.
Conrad said he has asked the Meghalaya non-conventional energy department to ensure that the CMO and other offices in the secretariat are run on renewable energy.
"We have to complete this project within three months. I hope that not only the CMO but all government offices will one day run on renewable energy," he said.
Conrad said, "The energy that we get back from the CMO, let that go back to the grid. We should have net metering in all the offices. We are putting back whatever energy we get on Saturdays and Sundays, when offices are closed. This energy will help provide electricity to some villages for at least a day or two."
He said the project would be carried out in government schools and colleges too. He asked forest department officials to assess data related to carbon dioxide emissions and oxygen released by trees per day, among others.
R.S. Gill, additional principal chief conservator of forests, while speaking on the theme, asserted the world uses 5 trillion plastic bags in a year.
"At least 13 million tonnes of plastic end up in the oceans. Plastic makes up 10 per cent of all the waste we generate and 50 per cent of the plastic we use is single use or disposable," Gill said.
He further added that people around the world buy 1 million plastic bottles every minute.
