Thrissur: Kerala is moving towards complete plastic ban. In the first phase of the move, bottled water will be banned from tourism and health sectors. State Pollution Control Board has decided to ban bottled water at star hotels, resorts, houseboats and hospitals with more than 500 beds.
In the next phase, plastic will be banned at all tourism centres. At present plastic below 50 microns only are banned in Kerala.
Tourism and health sectors are given six months’ time from June 2018 to get rid of plastic bottled waters. They are instructed to replace plastic bottles with glass bottles. Such institutions are to establish their own drinking water treatment plant, reverse osmosis plant and glass bottle sterilization units.
A notice will be sent to the hotels, resorts, hospitals and houseboats through district offices of Pollution Control Board. The ban will come into effect under Section 5 in the Environment (Protection) Act. Those who violate the rule, they might get seven-year imprisonment and Rs 5 to 7 lakh penalty.
The license of the institutions will be cancelled and will be ordered to shut down. The ban will be extended to other sectors taking into account the effectiveness of the first phase ban.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board, on an average Indian cities throw away more than 15000 tons of plastic waste each day. The study included 60 cities featuring Kochi from Kerala which throws 9.43 tons of plastic each day.
The 9000 tons are processed or reused but the rest 6000 tons are thrown into drainages, streets and water resources.
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