GO on plastic ban soon: Andhra pollution board

Amaravati, Aug 03: The State government is formulating rules for imposing the ban on the use of plastic with a width of fewer than 50 microns.

"We are in the process of issuing a GO as the State is gearing up to wage a war against the use of plastic and unpredictable disposal of ecological waste," AP Pollution Control Board Member-Secretary Vivek Yadav told media on the sidelines of a workshop, ‘Beat the Plastic Pollution,’ here on Thursday.

Producers of single-use plastic material below 50 microns would be charged if they failed to assure proper disposal after use. Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh had already laid down the extent of punishment for those eluding the ban, Mr. Yadav said.

To a question, he said only 10% of the plastic used was being recycled in the State and called for more organizations to recycle plastic material.

Asked to comment on industrial pollution in Visakhapatnam, he the pollution levels was being monitored on a regular basis. Problems with regard to building a new common effluent treatment plant for the units located in the AP Special Economic Zone, Atchutapuram were being sorted out.

Now the units were discharging their effluents through the facility developed by Jawaharlal Nehru Pharma City, Parawada.