Complete ban on use-and-throw pens and water bottles at the Delhi Secretariat from 1st June onwards: Gopal Rai
Banners, posters, and cutleries made from single use plastic will also be prohibited: Gopal Rai
Reusable objects made of metal, bamboo, paper, and earthy materials will be prioritised: Gopal Rai
New Delhi:
The Kejriwal Government has taken its fight against pollution to an even greater level by banning the use of products harmful for the environment at the Delhi Secretariat. Environment Minister Shri Gopal Rai declared that single use plastic products will be banned in Delhi Secretariat from 1st June onwards. He further informed, “There will be a complete ban on use-and-throw pens and water bottles at the Delhi Secretariat from 1st June onwards. Banners, posters, and cutleries made from single use plastic will also be prohibited. Reusable objects made of metal, bamboo, paper, and earthy materials will be prioritised.”
Environment Minister Shri Gopal Rai made a monumental announcement regarding the Kejriwal Government’s campaign against pollution. He said, “Single-use plastic goods will be prohibited at the Delhi Secretariat beginning June 1. In the first phase, the use-and-throw pens and water bottles will be prohibited in the Delhi Secretariat. Also, banners, posters, and food cutlery made from Single use plastic will also be banned in the Delhi Secretariat premises.”
Environment Minister Shri Gopal Rai said, “The Environment Department under the leadership of Chief Minister Shri Arvind Kejriwal is taking all appropriate steps to combat pollution. The department has also launched a Summer Action Plan to combat the city’s rising pollution levels. Single-use plastic contributes significantly to pollution in such circumstances. Plastic spoons and forks, straws, polythene, plastic glasses, and others are made of single-use plastics that cannot be reused are discarded. Many individuals try to destroy these by burning it or dumping it on the ground which contributes greatly to air, water, and land contamination, and poses a major hazard to the environment. Also, given their light weight, single-use plastic materials have been observed to easily travel through air and water, causing surrounding sewage or drainage systems to choke, and leads to problems of water logging.”
He added, “To limit the usage of single-use plastic objects, a public awareness campaign is required. In order to move further in this direction, the Kejriwal Government has decided that all single-use plastic items will be banned in all Delhi Secretariat offices as of June 1. Single-use pens and water bottles, as well as single-use plastic banners, posters, and cutlery, will be prohibited entirely in the Delhi Secretariat premises.”
Emphasis will be given on reusable items made of metal, bamboo, paper and earthen material
Speaking about environment friendly alternatives, Shri Gopal Rai stated, “Instead of using single-use water bottles and cutlery, bamboo, glass/porcelain, metal, or paper cutlery will be used. Moreover, use of reusable gel/ball/ink pens will be encouraged instead of use-and-throw pens, and only cloth or paper banners will be used to make banners and posters. Unless other options are promoted, it will be impossible to eliminate single-use plastic products in our daily lives.”
The Delhi Government is also working on other environment friendly options to stop the use of single-use plastic items.