Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Tuesday announced a ban on the use of plastic and polythene in the state from October 2.
This was announced by chief minister Naveen Patnaik in a video conferencing of the ‘Ama Mukhyamantri, Ama Katha’ programme at the State Secretariat here.
The Chief Minister said he has taken the decision as plastic posed a serious threat to the environment.
He said use of plastic bag and polythene will be banned in Puri and all municipal corporations in the first phase and it will come into force in the remaining civic bodies in the next two years.
Stating that the Urban and Housing Development and the Panchayati Raj departments have been directed to ensure strict implementation of the ban order in the urban and rural areas respectively, he sought the cooperation of the people to make the state free from plastic and polythene.
He also requested the people to plant one tree each during the monsoon and take proper care of it to ensure a clean environment.
The chief minister thanked the people for their cooperation in the gradual increase in the forest area of the state in the recent years, which has gone above the national average.
