Plastic Waste Processing Machines to be installed in 143 Blocks of the state | 20 Jul 2023

Why in News?

On July 17, 2023, Haryana Chief Secretary Sanjeev Kaushal chaired the third meeting of the Special Task Force to review the implementation of Plastic Waste Management Rules and ban on Single-Use Plastic Items in Chandigarh.

Key Points:

• These include plastic shredders, belling machines and dust removal machines, which will be installed at a cost of around Rs 16 lakh per unit. These units will facilitate recycling and also reduce the amount of plastic waste.
• This far-reaching initiative aims to tackle the twin challenges of plastic waste pollution and the need for better road infrastructure.
• It was informed in the meeting that from July 1, 2022 to May 31, 2023, 17,407 challans were issued under the action plan to ban single-use plastic items. They were fined Rs 1,46,62,750 after 15,045 kg of single-use plastic was seized across the state.
• The Chief Secretary directed the officers of the Public Works Department (B&R), Urban Local Bodies, Executive Engineer Panchayati Raj and State Marketing Board to make it mandatory to use plastic waste materials in road construction as per the norms of Ministry of Road Transport and National Highways.
• The Chief Secretary directed the Deputy Commissioners and District Municipal Commissioners to hold regular review meetings of the Special Task Force on Plastic Management through virtual means.
• Apart from this, he also directed the officers to create awareness among all sections of the society, especially at the rural level, and to promote wide-scale publicity activities on plastic waste management to solve the environmental issue.