GVMC to set up Eco-Bazaar in line with its efforts to make Visakhapatnam plastic-free

In order to sustain their efforts of making Visakhapatnam a plastic-free city, the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) will be setting up an Eco-Bazaar on the RK Beach road on 5 June 2022, on the occasion of World Environment Day. 

The GVMC had previously announced the ban of single-use plastic from 5 June, for which they have also been conducting vast awareness programs across various sectors in the city. The Eco-Bazaar initiative by GVMC which will be selling alternatives such as cloth bags, jute bags, and wooden spoons, will be launched by the Visakhapatnam District Collector. The civic body which has already notified the ban through an official gazette, plans to continue the special drive against the plastic ban for one year, up to 5 June 2023.

Addressing the press conference held at GVMC Conference Hall on Friday, GVMC Commissioner G Lakshmisha said this initiative which was taken up earlier was affected due to the pandemic. He mentioned that along with the vast awareness programs, from next month there will be a strict watch on the implementation of the plastic ban. He also said that, day-to-day monitoring is being conducted to ensure the target is achieved by 5 June 2022.

The commissioner called out to the public for their full support to make Visakhapatnam a plastic free city. He urged the public use cloth bags and other alternatives for their day-to-day activities. The commissioner said a lot of plastic goes into making flexis put up in the city and sincerely requested people to opt for cloth flexis. He added that in the recent beach cleanup drive, a lot of plastic was seen to be ending up in the sea. He urged the people to make Vizag a city of example, by completely banning the use of single use plastic from 5 June 2022.

On a closing note he reminded the public how the ‘Cloth Bag Challenge’ conducted by GVMC a few months ago in Visakhapatnam, found a mention in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Mann Ki Baat and said that he was sure Vizag was capable of setting another example very soon by becoming plastic free. 

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