The UP government has decided to make 500 meters around the iconic Taj Mahal free of single use plastic by 2020. The programme, ¡®beat plastic pollution¡¯ around Taj, which aims to discourage the use of single use plastic (water bottles and cutlery), will be formally launched by the government in collaboration with UNEP (United Nation Environment Programme) on June 3.
AFP
Confirming the development, Agra district magistrate Guarav Dayal said single use plastic will also be phased out from the organised sector which includes hotels, catering services and tour operating services by 2022. ¡°Waste segregation around Taj Mahal will be the part of the June 3 declaration,¡± he said.
The DM said that the programme will be implemented by the district administration with the help of Agra Municipal Corporation. On being asked about the alternative to plastic water bottles, which are provided to tourists at Taj Mahal by Agra Development Authority, Dayal said that water coolers will be installed at various locations to phase out these bottles.
Reuters
Agra municipal commissioner Arun Prakash said, ¡°We will implement the programme through awareness campaigns in the city and will impose fines to discourage people from using plastic cutlery and bottles which are a big source of pollution.¡±
Rajiv Saxena, secretary of Tourism Guild Association, Agra, however, said that the government does not have the mechanism and manpower to ban single use plastic in the city. He said that the government had banned manufacturing, distribution and sale of polythene bags almost two years ago, but that hasn¡¯t prevented people in Agra and its adjoining areas from using polythene.
PTI
Dr Sharad Gupta, an Agra-based environmentalist, said that though the plan is good in intent, the authorities need to find an alternative to plastic bottles. ¡°The administration must provide a substitute for the same otherwise there is no point in declaring anything,¡± he said.
From June 1, the Agra district administration will also start a special drive to clear the Yamuna river of debris and other pollutants. The river, which has become a breeding ground for insects that swarm the monument at night, is considered to be a major reason behind the Taj turning yellow and green. The administration plans to deploy 200 labourers twice a week to clean the polluted river.