The Andhra Pradesh government is taking significant steps to make the state plastic-free, Deputy Chief Minister and Environment Minister Pawan Kalyan announced on Friday. Speaking in the Assembly in response to a question on plastic usage, he emphasized the need to explore alternatives, noting that plastic has become an integral part of daily life but poses serious environmental and health risks.
Pawan Kalyan highlighted that plastic takes hundreds of years to decompose, with micro and nano plastics entering animals’ stomachs and even the bloodstream of infants. To tackle this, the government plans to implement a comprehensive action plan within the next two to three months. He called on political leaders to lead the fight against plastic and urged citizens to actively participate in the initiative, citing Tirumala as a successful example of plastic ban enforcement.
The minister detailed that district collectors have already been instructed to regulate single-use plastics. The government also plans to make the secretariat plastic-free, encourage use of glass bottles, provide incentives to villages achieving plastic-free status under schemes like the ‘Nirmal Gram Award’, promote biodegradable product industries, and establish plastic recycling units and parks as part of the circular economy. Pawan Kalyan added that environmental protection and pollution control will be key discussion points in upcoming Assembly sessions.
