The Chhattisgarh Chamber of Commerce and Industries (CCCI) has taken up a special initiative of distributing dustbins to small traders and business establishments under ‘Swachh Raipur, Swasth Raipur’ Abhiyan ( Clean Raipur, Healthy Raipur Campaign). It may be recalled that on November 27 last year, the Raipur Municipal Corporation (RMC) had notified city-based shopkeepers and business establishments that they may lose their license on failing to keep a dustbin to ensure collection and proper disposal of garbage generating from their establishments on a daily basis.
The Raipur Municipal Corporation (RMC) Commissioner Avneesh Kumar Sharan had urged local traders and owners of other commercial establishments to ensure their participation in the ongoing nation-wide cleanliness drive. The Commissioner made it mandatory for all the shopkeepers and business establishments to keep a dustbin for collecting garbage generating on a daily basis and avoid throwing garbage in the open.
The civic body officials are also expecting the RMC order to improve cleanliness across the city. This apart, Sharan had also directed all the zone commissioners to ensure collection of at least 220 trips (dumpers) of garbage and dump the same at Sarona trenching ground on a daily basis. Meanwhile, the RMC later also warned shop owners that if polythene bags were found again in their shops, they could face cancellation of their shop license In November last year, the Chhattisgarh government had also decided to declare the State as 'Plastic Carry Bag Free State' and it came into effect from January 1, 2015.
“Article 48-A of the Constitution of India envisages that the State shall endeavour to protect and improve the environment. Hence, Chhattisgarh government is of the firm view that plastic carry bags are detrimental to environment and also to the health of people as well as animals,’’ the government statement added. It is observed that that plastic carry bags causes blockages in drains and gutters, leading to serious environmental problem. In order to prevent such environmental hazards, the State Government has decided to declare Chhattisgarh State as a 'plastic carry bag free area,' it stated.
The State government ordered that no person including shopkeepers, retailers, wholesalers, traders, vendors etc, should use plastic carry bags. The State Government further ordered that from January 1, 2015 onwards, no person shall manufacture, store, import, sell or transport plastic carry bag in Chhattisgarh State.