War on plastic

KOCHI: As part of the 'Plastic-free Beaches' initiative of the United Nations Environment Programme, ten  tonnes of plastic garbage was collected and removed from Ponnani on Sunday.   Ponnani is one of the spots selected in the state for  the  programme which is being funded by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change. Garbage   removed from the banks of Bharatha Puzha, beach and Canoli Canal was transported to a processing firm in Tamil Nadu.

The programme launched on May 31 could be successfully undertaken with public participation. Several institutions such as Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment, Kerala Forest Research Institute, Peechi, local bodies and National Green Corps (NGC) are also supporting the initiative. Two other spots,  Varkala and Kozhikode,  have also  been selected by the UN for  the  programme in connection with the World Environment Day. The theme of this year's  environment day is 'Beat plastic pollution.'

"The UN programme could instil  sensitive and  environmental awareness among local residents. They  now realise that plastic is waste and a plastic-free Ponnani has to be created," said  Speaker P. Sreeramakrishnan in Ponnani on Sunday.  According to Dr. Syam Viswanath, director of KFRI, a  huge quantity of plastic waste could be removed from the area due to  the commitment and hard work of the local residents.  Municipal chairman C.P. Muhammad Kunji and KFRI scientist Dr. A.V. Raghu  flagged off the trucks transporting plastic garbage