In a major step, the Cuncolim Municipal Council (CMC) has decided to make the town plastic free. If everything goes as planned, Cuncolim will become the first plastic free town in Goa by end this year.
To achieve this objective, the Council has roped in the NSS unit of Cuncolim Educational Societies College of Arts and Commerce, whose volunteers distributed more than five hundred free jute and cloth bags to consumers at Cuncolim market, last Sunday. They were accompanied by the municipal staff, the chairperson, vice chairperson and councillors. This exercise will continue next Sunday.
Many leaders and citizens have also extended their cooperation for this mission. Next Sunday, Vice Chairperson Sashank Desai will distribute free cloth bags.
Desai said, “The plastic free mission will be implemented in three or four stages. First, we will create awareness about this mission. Every vendor and shopkeeper will be told about the mission. There will be ban on plastic bags below 50 microns. All vendors will be made aware of this rule.” “In the second stage, we will provide cloth and jute bags. And we are taking the help of educational institutions to make this mission successful. Vocational students are roped in to supply cloth and jute bags,” he said. In the third punitive action stage, Council would confiscate plastic bags below 50 microns and impose fine. “The Council will not hesitate to file an FIR against those who violate the ban,” Desai warned. The fourth step will be disposing other plastic material, for which a baling machines has been installed at CMC garbage plant. “After baling the plastic, we will send them to cement companies which will help to make the town plastic free,” he said. Desai said that the mission was started from Cuncolim Bazaar; subsequently, the plan is to go ward-to-wardn. CMC plans to conduct ‘nagarsabha’ in all twelve wards to make the citizens aware about the mission.
Meanwhile, the Cuncolkars have welcomed the Council’s ‘Mission plastic free town’. Shopkeepers have stopped giving free plastic bags. Goa Bagayatdar market and the Kholkar Brothers, a general merchant shop, have stopped free bags. Kholkar General Merchant owner Samir Prabhu Kholkar said, “We have stopped giving low micron plastic bags. If costumers ask for bags, we give above 50 microns and charge for the same. Once you charge for the bag, the next time they bring their own bags. That is a positive change.”
