Tourism Minister Prahlad Patel bans single-use plastics in monuments

Tourism Minister Prahlad Patel, on Wednesday, announced a ban on single-use plastic items in and around historical monuments. While speaking at the tourism fair ‘Paryatan Parv’ at Rajpath, he said that single-use plastic would not be allowed inside and within 100 meters of monuments. 

New installations as alternatives

The minister did not speak about when the ban would come into force. However, according to Tourism Ministry officials, the ban would cover all ASI-protected monuments. They also said that the work of finding alternatives to single-use plastic items like water bottles and cutlery is ongoing. According to them, there might be installations of water dispensers and paper cup vending machines inside the monument premises. However, it was also added that the real challenge is to enforce the ban outside the monuments as the hawkers selling snacks and beverages use single-use plastic.

READ | Dia Mirza applauds PM's commitment to ban single-use plastics

PM Modi on the single-use plastic ban

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had first spoken about the initiative of the ban in his independence day speech. He has also spoken about it in his recent speech at the UNGA climate change summit while he was on his US trip for the mega-diaspora event, Howdy Modi. In his fourth edition of ‘Mann ki Baat’, PM Modi urged the youth to take to Plogging (Running and cleaning the environment) to further the cause of eliminating single-use plastic waste. 

READ | J&K Guv takes part in plastic waste collection drive in Srinagar
 
Many celebrities have also been pushing for the move. Actor and Goodwill ambassador to the UN, Dia Mirza, while speaking to Republic about the issue had said that she is happy about PM Modi’s commitment to weed out single-use plastics completely by 2022 and that she hopes that this initiative is transformed into an effective policy. She had also said that this is something everyone can do their bit for and had gone further to explain what she has incorporated into her life for the cause. 

READ | PM Modi sets the target of 2022 to free India from single-use plastic

READ | IOC builds road from single-use plastic

(With inputs from PTI)