Denizens heartily cheer ban on single-use plastic

Hyderabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi called upon all Indians to make an effort to rid their country of plastic waste and raised the possibility of "strong first steps towards bidding adieu to single-use plastic." Speaking on the Independence Day, the PM vowed to ban single-use plastic in the country on October 2.

Quick to appreciate the passionate plea of the PM for shunning plastic to the extent possible, several Hyderabadis shared their views on alternatives to plastic. Making retail shops switch to paper bags or tissue bags could be a great initiative by the GHMC to rid the streets and roads free of single-use plastic, to start with, to pave way for a 'Green Hyderabad.'

Suwarna, a shopkeeper in Karmika Nagar said, "It is very appreciable that the Modi government has taken a right step against plastic. Everyday hundreds of consumers come to purchase and none of them brings their own bag. I have to provide them a carry bag for free and some would be demanding one more – for no reason. It would cost us Rs 300-500 every month. Now, I will put up a board, going by the appeal of PM Modi, and demand that consumers carry their own bags from now on."

Another retailer from the Yousufguda says golden days are back to use of quality products. "In the earlier days, we followed the same culture and people were also smart enough to get their own bags. But, after plastic covers came into use, the culture gradually vanished and now people are heading back to own culture. It is really a positive change for the environment," said Bhagya Lakshmi who runs Sri Kanakadurga Retailers.

"Overconsumption of single-use plastic has serious implications for environment, which in turn also negatively affects our health. Paper bags are environment-friendly. Hoping that we will see no more plastic bags hanging from trees and blowing around in the wind." said Jaganath, a shopkeeper in Mettuguda.

"Single use plastic ban is an awesome decision by PM Modi because plastic is a non-biodegradable material. Using plastic creates disposable problems. It never decomposes and causer litter and clogs drains. From the process of manufacturing to the process of decomposing, plastic has a lot of environmental hazards," said Kiran Kawadi, a consumer at a local store.