TN collected Rs 110 cr in penalty since ban on single-use plastic

CHENNAI: Taking stringent action against single-use plastic that is banned in Tamil Nadu, the State government has sealed more than 170 plastic manufacturing units and collected Rs 110 crore in penalty from traders using banned plastic items.

“After the ban was imposed in 2019, there were crackdowns for three months. Then, the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the actions. Now, measures to prevent the usage of banned plastic items have resumed.

As many as 176 plastic manufacturing units have been sealed and Rs 110 crore collected as a penalty. To create awareness, a Meendum Manjapai movement has been launched. Usage of single-use plastic has come down by 20 per cent,” Siva V Meyyanathan, Minister for Environment, Pollution Control and Ex-servicemen, said inaugurating a ‘Planning for a Net Zero City’ conference, organised by the Madras Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Thursday.

Requesting the public to be thrift while using electricity by switching off unwanted appliances at home, he said: “Chennai requires 3,000MW of power every day. On the other hand, the entire state of Kerala requires only 3,000MW of electricity.”

Lauding the free bus scheme for women, Meyyanathan said the scheme has increased the usage of public transport, which can cut emissions. Before the scheme was launched, around 24 lakh women used buses, but after the scheme, 34 lakh women use the buses every day.

“Of more than 1.30 lakh sqkm extent of the State, only 31,199 sqkm have forest cover. However, the State should have a forest cover of 42,919 sqkm. Green Tamil Nadu Mission has been launched to cover the remaining land by planting 10 trees every year. One tree can absorb 22 kilograms of carbon dioxide and release 20 kilograms of oxygen,” he said.

Listing out the initiatives taken by the government to preserve the environment, the minister added that projects to plant native trees along the coasts to create a bio-shield are underway apart from implementing green schools, climate-smart villages and conversion of Koyambedu market into net zero facility.