Koraput: The forest division in the district has adopted a unique method to check plastic pollution. The department has launched a week-long campaign from June 1-7 through which unused plastic bottles will be purchased from local residents and business establishments.
"The drive has been conducted to check plastic pollution in the urban areas of the district. For each plastic bottle, irrespective of its size, the owner will be paid 50paise. We aim to purchase as much plastic bottles as we can from people and business establishments," said divisional forest officer of Koraput forest division P. Poornima.
According to the officer, forest officials in association with volunteers of various social and volunteer organisations are conducting door-to-door campaign and collecting plastic bottles.
"The purchased plastic bottles will be used to prepare beautiful pencil and pen stands by the department. The bottles will be cut to be used as planters. Saplings can be placed in the plastic bottles and beautifully decorated at offices. We plan to develop an entire garden with saplings put in plastic bottles," Poornima said.
The department has also launched a massive awareness drive on the ill-effects of use plastic bottles and to encourage people for its minimal use. Apart from distributing leaflets and putting up posters, motorcycle rallies are being conducted to spread the message.
"Plastic items spill over from landfills and choke drains. It takes around 1,000 years for the plastic carry bags to decompose. And, most of them are used for just a few minutes - to reach the house from the shops. Awareness is being created to shun the use of plastic items. Though our awareness drives we will ask people to carry their own bags while going to market and not to bring anything home in plastic containers, including plastic carry bags," the officer said.
An official said apart from animals like cow and dog more than 1 lakh marine creatures died every year after getting entangled in plastic bags dumped into the sea and ocean from drains and rivers.
