NGO Nature Drive of India on Sunday here organised an awareness programme for refusal of plastic to persuade local people to avoid using plastic and polythene for keeping the environment, mainly sea water clean. The programme was inaugurated by Jagatsinghpur district Collector Satya Kumar Mallick, who advised the locals not to throw plastics and polythene into sea and river water and use dustbins for disposal of such items. These items are not biodegradable and can remain in the earth from 300 years to 500 years.
The NGO started the awareness drive on January 26 with the message ‘Refuse, Reduce, Reuse and Recycle’. The body has cleaned Paradip, Erasama, Astaranga, Konark and Puri beach areas along with spreading awareness messages on the effects of use of non-biodegradable items through bike stunts, bike rallies, leaflets, etc. It will continue its campaign in other costal districts of the State.