Guntur’s plastic challenge: Ban on single-use items, but used water bottles pile up in drains
The GMC has initiated measures to enforce the ban on prohibited single-use plastic items, with public health officials and sanitary inspectors conducting field-level monitoring and imposing fines through the ‘Swachh App’
The Guntur Municipal Corporation (GMC) has stepped up enforcement of its ban on single-use plastics to improve public health and the environment, but the city's drains reveal another pressing issue — the improper disposal of used water bottles and other plastic waste. The GMC has been monitoring the ban through field-level inspections by public health officials and sanitary inspectors, and penalizing offenders via the 'Swachh App'.
Awareness campaigns, including distribution of pamphlets and public education, have been ongoing for the past month. Prohibited items include plastic earbuds, balloons, candy and ice-cream sticks, thermocol, cups, forks, spoons, knives, straws, and stirrers, as well as plastic packaging films and banners. Special task-force teams will conduct inspections at various establishments, with severe penalties for repeat offenders, including loss of trade licences and shop closures.
Despite these efforts, photographs of Guntur's drains overflowing with discarded plastic water bottles highlight that banning certain plastic items alone does not solve the city's plastic-waste problem. The GMC could improve its efforts by focusing on preventing the dumping of used water bottles in drains through regular inspections, drain cleaning, monitoring of littering hotspots, and stronger action against intentional waste disposal.
Public participation in responsible disposal of all plastic waste is also crucial to combating plastic pollution, as both preventing banned plastics and managing existing plastic waste are necessary.
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