New Delhi: With a vision to make Tamil Nadu free from plastic pollution and ensure a better quality of life and a mission to create awareness on the disastrous effects of single use plastics on the environment, Tamil Nadu government on August 23 initiated ‘Plastic pollution free Tamil Nadu’ campaign. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami, gave a green signal to the campaign and launched the Plastic pollution free Tamil Nadu’ campaign at the secretariat.
இன்று (23.8.2018) தலைமைச் செயலகத்தில், “பிளாஸ்டிக் மாசில்லா தமிழ்நாடு” பிரசாரத்தை துவக்கி வைக்கும் அடையாளமாக, அதற்கான இலச்சினையை (LOGO) அறிமுகம் செய்து வைத்தேன். pic.twitter.com/dOxpw9yUIn
— Edappadi K Palaniswami (@EPSTamilNadu) August 23, 2018
To promote the message of plastic free Tamil Nadu, the state government has roped in popular film actors as the campaign’s brand ambassadors. Appointing Vivekh, film actor and Padma Shri awardee, as one of the campaign ambassadors, Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami handed him a cloth bag.
இன்று (23.8.2018) தலைமைச் செயலகத்தில், “பிளாஸ்டிக் மாசில்லா தமிழ்நாடு” பிரசாரத்தின் தமிழ்நாடு அரசின் விளம்பரத் தூதுவராக நியமிக்கப்பட்டுள்ள திரைப்பட நடிகர் திரு. விவேக் அவர்களுக்கு துணிப்பை மற்றும் சணல் பைகளை வழங்கினேன். pic.twitter.com/624l7do9pt
— Edappadi K Palaniswami (@EPSTamilNadu) August 23, 2018
As the campaign ambassador, actor Vivekh has already started promoting alternatives to single use plastic. Recently, the actor put out a message to ditch single use plastic straws and adopt paper straws.
Dear students n fans! Good bye to plastic straws! Welcome to paper straws! @UNEnvironment @PlasticPollutes @ThanthiTV @cauverytv @gostrawless @CMOTamilNadu pic.twitter.com/mJo963JnJJ
— Vivekh actor (@Actor_Vivek) August 26, 2018
Though the plastic ban in the state is scheduled for January 1, 2019, but to take forward the green message and protect environment from the ill effect of plastic, the government decided to stop the use of plastic folders in all government offices with effect from August 24.
Also Read: Bid Adieu To Manual Scavengers And Meet Bandicoot, A Robot That Will Clean Sewers In Tamil Nadu
Plastic Pollution Free Tamil Nadu
To prepare citizens of Tamil Nadu for a life without ‘use and throwaway’ plastic from January 1, 2019, the government announced the ban on June 5, 2018 which is observed as World Environment Day. A preparatory period of six months has been given to come up with viable alternatives for commonly used plastic products.
To make people aware about the ban and series of initiatives that will take place in the future, the government has launched a website – plasticpollutionfreetn.org and a mobile application ‘Plastic Pollution Free Tamil Nadu’. From what is included in the ban and what is not, suggesting alternatives to single use plastic products, to government announcements and initiatives, both online portal and mobile application are one stop destination for citizens wishing to know about the plastic ban. Both the portals also provide an option to citizens to provide their feedback for effective implementation to ban single use plastics.
Also Read: Plastic Ban In Tamil Nadu: Carry Your Own Utensils And Get 5% Discount On Takeaways
NDTV – Dettol Banega Swachh India campaign lends support to the Government of India’s Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM). Helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan, the campaign aims to spread awareness about hygiene and sanitation, the importance of building toilets and making India open defecation free (ODF) by October 2019, a target set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, when he launched Swachh Bharat Abhiyan in 2014. Over the years, the campaign has widened its scope to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and menstrual hygiene. The campaign has also focused extensively on marine pollution, clean Ganga Project and rejuvenation of Yamuna, two of India’s major river bodies.
