Plastic waste chokes drains in temple city

Tirupati: The temple town, which witnesses thousands of floating population daily, is choking on plastic waste. It is estimated that more than 10 tonnes of plastic and other non-biodegradable waste like cups, plates, covers are dumped in drainage canals every day in the city. As a result, drains are overflowing with low-level lanes and bylanes bearing the brunt with inundation.

The Municipal Corporation of Tirupati (MCT) authorities have taken up a major drive to remove plastic waste from the all open drainage canals as well as under ground sewage system. So far, they have removed more than 150 tonnes of plastic garbage from the drainage canals of the city.

MCT commissioner V Vijayarama Raju instructed the officials concerned to take up a special drive to remove the plastic and other non-degradable waste which was choking the drainage system.

More than 300 public health workers, 22 foremen, two sanitary supervisors have been sweating it out removing tonnes of plastic and other non-degradable waste for the last three days under the supervision of MCT health officer Dr Usha Kumari. Over 100 km long open drains have been cleaned by the civic body sanitation workers till now.

The sanitation employees have been deploying JCB machines and other silt removal machines in drainages and underground sewage channels. Municipal Corporation of Tirupati officials have been gearing up to create awareness on need to ban plastic among people and traders.

As part of the drive, the officials have launched different publicity campaigns aimed at various sections of stakeholders like pushcart vendors, malls and consumers. MCT special officer and district collector P S Pradyumna already declared that from next October 2 use, sale, distribution, manufacturing of plastic will be banned.

In the meantime, steps are being taken by the municipal officials to educate all segments of business community on hazardous affects of plastic usage and problems arising in cleaning open drains due to dumping of plastic waste. Anti-plastic awareness programmes have been conducted for hoteliers and fast food shops owners, cloth shop merchants, chicken and mutton vendors and hospital managements.

MCT Deputy commissioner M V D Phani Ram said that as per the instructions of commissioner Vijayarama Raju, all the municipal corporation staff were conducting awareness campaigns against plastic among the all sections of population in the city. As part of it, they were sensitising the merchants, plastic material sellers and distributers, manufacturers every day, he added.