Karnataka government promises to make five major cities plastic-free

The government will take up special initiatives in five major cities of the state to make them plastic-free while a complete ban will be enforced on manufacturing, sale and use of single-use plastic in the entire state, Forest, Ecology and Environment Minister Eshwar Khandre said on Monday.

Speaking at the World Environment Day celebration here, the minister said plastic waste, electronic waste and medical waste have to be tackled to avoid major consequences. "We have issued rules to ban plastic in 2016. There is provision to file criminal cases against those manufacturing and selling plastic. But we need people's movement against plastic," he said.

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Khandre said the government was committed to enforcing segregation and recycling of plastics into usable materials, encouraging startups to beat plastic pollution, and creating green funds to support such initiatives in collaboration with CSR funds.

Crisis situation

Bengaluru is inching closer to a crisis situation similar to New Delhi and measures are needed to make a turnaround. "Delhi has become a gas chamber. People are suffering from diseases like lung cancer. Bengaluru will reach that situation if we fail to check pollution," he said.

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The minister said the government will plant 4.5 crore saplings this year. "Awareness on conservation has to start at home and in schools. Every child should plant a sapling and nurture it till it becomes a tree. The department will plant 2.5 crore saplings and the public, including school children, will be given 2 crore saplings," he said.