'Mann Ki Baat': Modi praises GVMC for promoting cloth bags, reducing plastic pollution

Andhra Pradesh: Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) for promoting cloth bags and reducing plastic pollution in the city. During his 'Mann Ki Baat', Modi mentioned how people are joining hands to create awareness about the harmful effects of single-use plastic.

GVMC is promoting the use of cloth bags as an alternative to plastic. This is as a part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav and Swachh Survekshan.

'Cloth Bag Challenge' was launched on February 1. All schools, educational institutions, and commercial establishments are asked to use and promote only cloth bags. As part of the challenge, the students were asked to prepare cloth bags using unused clothes, bed sheets, pillow covers, and T-shirts. Also, students were asked to take readymade cloth bags and paint quotes about saving the environment against the use of plastic.

There are 25,000 school students in the city. So far 75 schools with 3500 schools have been part of the campaign making their own ways to promote cloth bags. Parents too have joined in and are posting videos of their kids making cloth bags.

According to GVMC officials, they are working in coordination with resident welfare associations to ban plastic in their communities. Also, GVMC is planning to give a time span for the shopkeepers and commercial establishments to shift to alternatives banning plastic in their everyday work.