BMC approaches tinsel town celebrities to push plastic disposal

Mumbai: With Mumbaikars continuing to use plastic despite a ban, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has decided to enlist the support of celebrities for creating awareness, much like it did with the recent open defecation campaign.

The BMC has approached stars like Aamir Khan, Aishwarya and Abhishek Bachchan, Kajol and Ajay Devgn to become brand ambassadors for this drive. In the past, the BMC has enlisted the support of cricketing hero Sachin Tendulkar, Bollywood veteran Amitabh Bachchan and filmstar Salman Khan for other drives.

The State government’s plastic ban is turning out to be difficult to implement as citizens continue to use plastic unhindered. The BMC has already set up a toll-free number for plastic collection and installed bottle-crushing machines. It wants to increase the number of waste segregation centres also, and has installed collection bins at various places.

“We have written to several popular stars including Aamir Khan and Kiran Rao, Aishwarya and Abhishek Bachchan, Kajol and Ajay Devgn, urging them to become our brand ambassadors. We are hoping for a positive response,” a civic official involved with the drive said. The letters were sent earlier this week. Once the ambassador is finalised, the BMC wants to undertake public pledges and create short films, and radio jingles.

Additional municipal commissioner Vijay Singhal told The Hindu that BMC has also written to lyricist Javed Akhtar, who has agreed to join the effort. Mr. Singhal said, “One celebrity couple we approached is also keen, but we are yet to get an official confirmation. Once we have them on board, we will hold a large-scale event showcasing various alternatives to plastic items. We will also be using short films, posters etc for the drive.”

Since the ban came into force, BMC has collected around 50,000 kg of banned plastic items such as bags, cutlery, and other disposable items.