From April 1, drinking water and beverages filled in plastic bottles will be banned in the hill station, said Municipal Commissioner Narayanan here on Thursday.
It was decided to ban plastic bottles in the hill station at a recent consultative committee meeting held with various stakeholders, presided over by Collector M.Vijayalakshmi and other senior officers.
The State government, which had banned single use plastics since 2019 had succeeded in the programme to an extent. While the officials conducted raids and seized the banned goods, the consumption had declined in small cities and towns, officials said.
The Kodaikanal Municipality, in a bid to move closer to better living, had proposed to ban carrying drinking water or beverages in plastic containers.
Officials, in association with NGOs, educational institutions and other service outfits, took out a rally from Moonjikal to the municipal office. Placards carrying ‘save environment’ and ‘protect mother earth’ were displayed. Many of them spoke in support of the ban in the hill station at a discussion held later.
The Kodaikanal RDO Surendran said stakeholders would be sensitised to the need to look for alternatives and cooperate in keeping the hill station free from plastic goods from March 15. Officials would closely monitor movement of plastic containers used for potable water and beverages at specially erected check-posts at the foothills of the ghat section.
Like Udagamandalam in Nilgiris district, municipal and other officials in Kodaikanal would display 21 types of banned plastics, which was seven more than the existing ones in hill stations.
Tahsildar Wilson, AEE (Pollution Control Board) Sugumaran, Health Officer Ramkumar and other officials participated in the meeting.