KMC pushes to ban plastic bags, bottles in parks

Kolkata: Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) is pushing for prohibiting entry with plastic bags and bottles into its parks across the city.

“We will be putting up banners at the entry points of the parks stating that entry with plastic carry bags or bottles is prohibited. If somebody is carrying such plastic stuff, he / she will have to dump it in the dustbin placed in front of the entry gates and then enter inside. The installation of such banners will start from Monday,” a senior official of KMC’s Parks and Garden department said.

Councillor of Ward 12 of Kolkata Municipal Corporation, Minakshi Gangopadhyay flagged a proposal regarding plastic at the monthly meeting of the KMC held this month.

“Apart from morning walkers, most of the city parks witness the presence of several children who come there for amusement. So, I feel that if we can inculcate the awareness that plastic is a bane for us, then we can succeed in our constant endeavour towards curbing plastic use,” she added.

In Ward 12 there are three parks, including the Deshbandhu Park spread over about 50 bighas. Gangopadhyay while carrying out augmentation of green cover in these parks found that many trees inside these parks have become prone to damage with the change in soil chemistry due to plastic. “I believe that this problem is affecting all the parks in the city,“ she noted.

The security guards manning the parks will monitor the use of plastic in parks. Presently there are 700 parks in the city maintained by the civic body.

Kolkata Municipal Corporation has already taken up massive awareness involving school children to dissuade people from using plastic less than 75 microns.

The gully pits get choked with discarded plastic bottles, and thermocol plates dumped indiscriminately, and hence drainage often becomes an issue.

“We have seen that even plastics have accumulated in catchment areas of the drainage pumping stations robbing it of its 100 per cent effectiveness. So, it’s high time that people should be aware of such problems posed by plastic and stop its use,” an official said.