Team Herald
PANJIM: Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and involving ragpickers are some of the key decisions the State govt is mulling before finalising the ban on single-use plastic.
In the last concluded assembly session, Environemnet Minister Nilesh Cabral had brought a bill in the Assembly banning plastic and had assured that it will come into effect by January 1, 2020.
The Environment Minister chaired a meeting on Monday, attended by Goa State Pollution Control Board chairman, member secretary, and directors of Environment, Panchayats, Waste Management and Munipalities to frame the rules for the ban, which will come into effect starting next year.
“We have to implement the ban in phases. People cannot be inconvenienced, we will allow and make available compost material which can be disposed of faster,” he said.
Cabral said that the Environment Department will float an Expression of Interest (EOI) to make an EPR plan for State. “We want someone to guide us how the EPR policy can prepared and implemented for waste producers,” he said, adding that manufacturers will take care of their waste. He said producers will have to take care of tetra packs, granules or chips packets.
He said that the meeting also discussed the framing of rules for single-use plastic, besides discussions on e-waste collection. “There are two youth who had come to help without government spending any money,” he said.
In another decision, he said his department is mulling using the services of rag pickers for collection of plastic waste.
“In Curchorem we will soon start three centers where rag pickers will bring plastic as well as other waste or anything. We will not pay them directly but will exchange something like sugar, rice etc. This will not be from government funds but I as an individual will give this things,” he said.
He said they are identifying places as centres for collecting waste, which would be mostly plastic and glass. “This model will be replicated in entire Goa in the future. I have told panchayats and municipalities to identify areas of 50 sq meters to take this waste so that we can work in a bigger model,” he said.
Cabral said the State government is spending Rs 18 cr annually for road-side collection. “If we stop this and use ragpickers it will greatly benefit,” he said.
