Chandigarh, August 1:- In a bid to reduce the use of single-use plastic items and promote sustainability, the Municipal Corporation Chandigarh has successfully completed its one-month-long Plastic Mukt Chandigarh campaign under the Safai Apnao Bimaari Bhagao initiative. The campaign, which ran from July 1 to July 31, 2024, involved a range of activities and initiatives targeting various stakeholders across the city.

The MCC team carried out extensive checks and imposed significant fines on shopkeepers, traders, and citizens found violating the single-use plastic ban. A total of 1,014 challans were issued, and 285 kg of plastic was seized.

To encourage the use of eco-friendly alternatives, the MCC introduced two E-carts for compostable bags. This initiative, undertaken in association with Mobisoft Telesolutions Pvt. Ltd. under the CSR campaign "I HATE POLYTHENE," aims to make compostable bags available to vendors at reasonable rates. In the vegetable market in Sector 26 and at Apni Mandis in different sectors, 1,760 kg of compostable bags were sold. The Corporation officials, along with the respective area councillors and Swachhata Brand Ambassador Mx Kajal MangalMukhi, visited the markets and Apni Mandis and distributed appreciation certificates to citizens who were seen carrying cloth or jute bags while shopping.

Furthermore, to motivate the Swachhata Champions, the MCC organized a "Waste to Art" exhibition in colleges to raise awareness about the importance of plastic waste management and conducted paper bag-making workshops for school students in collaboration with the Prasanchetas Foundation.

The Municipal Corporation team also raised awareness among shopkeepers in the Atmanirbhar Ward No. 35, Sector-49 Market area, highlighting the harmful impacts of single-use plastic and promoting eco-friendly alternatives.

MC Commissioner Ms. Anindita Mitra, IAS, said that the Municipal Corporation Chandigarh is committed to building a cleaner and more sustainable future for city residents. She highlighted the public's interest in using paper bags, noting that they are eco-friendly, budget-friendly, reusable, and decompose naturally without harming the environment. She added that the single-use plastic ban is a crucial step toward achieving this goal and strongly encouraged citizens to support their efforts by bringing their own cloth bags when shopping.

The Municipal Corporation is making all efforts, including organizing workshops and various other activities citywide, to raise awareness about the pollution caused by plastic and the threat it poses to the environment. The successful completion of the Plastic Mukt Chandigarh campaign underscores the MCC's commitment to environmental conservation and its ongoing efforts to make Chandigarh a model of sustainable development, contributing toward the Garbage Free India mission.