District-level panels to monitor use of plastic water bottles in Karnataka | Bengaluru News

Bengaluru: In order to tackle growing plastic pollution across the state, the govt Tuesday ordered the formation of high-level committees in every district to monitor the handling and disposal of discarded single-use plastic water bottles.The announcement, which coincided with the govt’s World Environment Day celebration, came from chief minister Siddaramaiah. The district-level committees to be headed by deputy commissioners will include CEOs of zilla panchayats, superintendents of police and deputy directors of food and civil supplies department. They will be tasked with tracking the sale of plastic bottles, ensuring their scientific disposal and raising public awareness. They will meet once in every three months to review progress and share enforcement data with Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB).Marking the day’s theme — Beat plastic pollution — Siddaramaiah said: “It is a difficult job, but we must do it. Bengaluru alone generates 900 tonnes of garbage every day. If we are keen to safeguard the environment, we must discontinue usage of plastic and find suitable alternatives.” Environment minister Eshwar Khandre said the move to regulate plastic water bottles is necessary. “We must first focus on scientific disposal of discarded plastic water bottles.”The initiative is the latest in a series of measures aimed at improving management of plastic waste in the state. A month ago, Khandre directed the additional chief secretary of his department to ensure mandatory enforcement of extended producer responsibility (EPR) on manufacturers of plastic water bottles across districts.Under EPR mandate, manufacturers are expected to take responsibility for end-of-life collection and processing of their products. Khandre urged bottle manufacturers to adopt a buy-back model — purchasing used bottles from consumers while selling new ones.In a further incentive to encourage plastic bottle returns, KSPCB chairperson PM Narendraswamy announced that shredding machines would be installed within urban local body limits, offering users a refund of Re 1 for each discarded bottle returned.Meanwhile, a random survey conducted recently by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) in Bengaluru found that several brands of bottled water being sold in local markets were of substandard quality. This has raised additional concerns about the need for stricter monitoring of bottled water production and distribution in the state.