Retired Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer and a recipient of United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Award K. Amaranarayana on Wednesday asked people to refuse to accept plastic bags while shopping.
Speaking at the Ammembal Subbarao Pai memorial conference on ‘Individual social responsibility in waste management’ at Canara College, he said if everyone did so, it would pave the way for social change and help curb the menace of plastic bag. The initiative for change should first begin at home, he said, asking people to carry cotton or jute bags with them while shopping.
Mr. Amaranarayana displayed a photograph of an underground layer of plastic found while digging an open well in Kalaburagi. He said that 51 materials could be recycled now and encouraged people to take up recycling as an entrepreneurs to increase employment opportunities.
About five decades ago, people were in the habit of segregating and storing waste material and later selling it to scrap dealers. Of late, many were not doing so, hence items like plastic water bottles were being thrown away everywhere.
He said that apartments, commercial complexes and individual houses should be constructed in a manner that allows good waste management practices.
Rajashekar Puranik, Environmental Officer, Karnataka State Pollution Control Board, Mangaluru, asked people use public transport more. He said Mangaluru was the first in the State where sewage water of Mangaluru City Corporation was used by industries under Mangaluru Special Economic Zone after tertiary treatment at Kavoor.