Ranipet Collector to attempt world record through anti-plastics drive

Ranipet: In a move which has already earned him plaudits, Ranipet Collector Baskara Pandian plans to place the district on the global stage by creating a world record with removal of maximum plastics garbage in a single day.

Already in the limelight for his moves to eradicate single use plastics and provision of various government benefits to marginalised communities in the district, Baskara Pandian hit upon the idea of placing the district on the global map after preliminary work spread over two months.

Speaking to DT Next, the Collector said, “right now we are focusing on creating awareness among all sections of society to ensure that the drive becomes a success. As of now Switzerland holds the world record for clearing 130 tonnes of plastics waste in a single day.”

Hence the district administration plans to mobilise services of 10,000 MGNREGS workers as also social workers, altruists and voluntary agencies in what is expected to be a day-long jamboree when plastic garbage collected will be ferried to various drop sites in both urban and rural pockets, he added.

“The drive will be conducted in all the 288 village panchayats, 13 town panchayats and 8 municipalities in the district sometime in May. The exercise will be overseen by officials from the Elite book of records who are expected to arrive in the district from the UAE,” Collector Pandian said.

Once collected the aim is a minimum 200 tonnes the plastics waste will be sent to cement factories in Ariyalur.

“Already we are sending two loads totalling 20 tonnes every month. Ahead of starting the proposed feat, we will alert the cement units to be prepared to receive additional tonnage of plastic so that they can also plan their needs accordingly,” Baskara Pandian said.

The date of the actual exercise is expected to be finalised once the UAE officials arrive at Ranipet.