Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy announced on August 27 that the state will ban the use of plastic flexi boards, with the goal of making the state plastic-free by 2027.
On August 26, the state government also signed an agreement with the ‘Parley for the Oceans’ organisation in Visakhapatnam to clean up the state’s seashores.
The Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the State’s Special Chief Secretary of Municipal Administration and Urban Development, Y Srilakshmi, and the American-based NGO’s Cyrill Gutsch.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister asserted that “environment and economy are two sides of a coin and stated that his government is moving ahead with inclusivity and sustainability to protect and nurture the environment.”
Visakhapatnam launched world’s largest beach cleaning programme
He stated that Visakhapatnam has launched the world’s largest beach cleaning programme, with over 22,000 people taking part in a 28-kilometer stretch from Gokul Beach to Bheemili Beach, where approximately 76 tonnes of plastic was collected from the seashore.
He stated that 70 percent of the world’s oxygen comes from marine plants, and that plastic debris has affected at least 267 marine species worldwide, emphasising that it is the responsibility of all citizens to save the oceans.
According to Jagan Reddy, the State government has been taking steps to protect the environment and has thus implemented an industrial policy that encourages businesses to adopt green and clean production measures. In addition, he stated that in October 2021, approximately 4,000 garbage collection vehicles will be deployed across the state, resulting in an increase in garbage collection rate from 22 to 62%.
Jagan said, “in order to curb the plastic menace, the state government made pacts with organisations like Global Alliance for a Sustainable Planet and Parley for the Oceans.”
Parley company removes plastic waste from ocean
The Chief Minister told that Parley company removes plastic waste from the ocean and recycles and manufactures many products. “As part of the MoU, Parley Future Institute along with Parley Super Hub will be set up in Andhra Pradesh to manufacture goods with recycled plastic, which attracts investment of Rs 16,000 crore in the next six years and generate employment for over 20,000 people,” Jagan said.
On this occasion, the Chief Minister inspected recycled goods such as shoes, wallets, and glasses. He had also been wearing a pair of recycled plastic goggles.
Vidadala Rajani, Gudivada Amarnath, Adimulapu Suresh, Rajiv Kumar of the Leadership Council and former Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog, Satya S Tripathi, Secretary-General of the Global Alliance for a Sustainable Planet, Cyrill Gutsch, CEO of Parley for the Oceans, and other officials attended the event.
