It turned out to be a World Environment Day with a difference for people in Tamil Nadu. Chief Minister Edappady Palaniswamy declared in the Assembly on that day that Tamil Nadu would be a plastic free State from January 2019. The AIADMK members greeted the announcement by thumping the desks. The Chief Minister dedicated the announcement to his mentor Amma — former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa— who always wanted the State to be free of plastic.
Jayalalithaa, during her earlier tenure as Chief Minister had brought in a legislation banning the manufacture and sale of plastic in the State. Plastic lobby was so powerful that even a strong willed person like Jayalalithaa was forced to retract and the legislation got lapsed. Experts asked Jayalalithaa to formulate a clear-cut alternative to different type of plastics before banning the substance. They also pointed out that Tamil Nadu women use plastic pots to store water despite the fact that the material contained toxic substances like mercury, lead and cadmium.
Though the bill got lapsed in 2002, no action was taken by the successive Governments that ruled the State since then. During the UPA regime in which the DMK was an important constituent, there was a big furore when the Centre tried to relocate the Chennai based Indian Institute of Plastic Technology to Karnataka.
The Tamil Nadu Plastic Manufacturers Association claims that the move to ban plastic in the State was an ill-conceived decision. “let the State Government create an awareness and study methods to handle the plastic. There are 10,000 plastic manufacturing units which employ 1.5 million workers. What about those people,” asked S Rakkappan, president, TNPMA.
Environmentalists like Nanditha Krishna are doubtful about the intentions of the Government. “I don’t know how they can get the order implemented if the plastic manufacturers are against it. The best thing to get the order implemented is by enlisting the active cooperation of people,” said Nanditha Krishna.
Indhumathi, a home and danseuse of repute says that people should learn to say no to plastics . “For the last ten years, I carry a cloth bag when I go for shopping. I never accept/buy the plastic carry bags given by shops and supermarkets. The services of homemakers should be sought to make this move a success,” said Indumathi.
She said she was shocked to learn that the Governments could not do anything during the last 16 years to take concrete action plans to make the State plastic. “I remember former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa expressing helplessness in banning plastics. She is reported to have cried when she saw plastic materials strewn everywhere in Nilgiris, her favourite resort” said Indumathi.