Clean plastic waste to fetch money to Shimla residents

Tribune News Service

Shimla, August 8

To rid the town of plastic waste and encourage people to maintain cleanliness, the Shimla Municipal Corporation has decided to purchase wrappers and packets of edible items like chips, curd, noodles, biscuits, ice-cream, etc from residents.

According to the MC, the people will be required to clean and dry the wrappers and packets before handing these over to the corporation. The civic body has set up centres in the junior engineer offices where the plastic waste will be collected every Saturday.

One kg of clean plastic waste will fetch the residents Rs 75.

Additionally, the corporation will allow the people who cannot go to these centres to hand over the plastic waste to garbage collectors. In such a scenario, Rs 25 of Rs 75 will be paid to the garbage collector.

Shimla Municipal Corporation Chief Health Officer Chetan Chauhan said the decision was taken in a recent meeting of the Municipal Corporation. He said with the scheme, the MC aimed to reduce plastic waste and discourage littering in the open, thus protecting environment and maintaining cleanliness in the town.

Meanwhile, Shimla Municipal Corporation Mayor Surender Chauhan, along with other MC officials and school students, conducted a cleanliness and tree plantation drive in Brockhurst area of Chhota Shimla ward.

He said it felt very good to know that how aware the younger generation was about the conservation of environment. He said at present, the Municipal Corporation was conducting tree plantation drive in all wards to protect environment and increase the green cover in the town.

The Mayor also appealed to the residents to plant at least one tree in their surroundings and ensure cleanliness in respected areas.