Bhubaneswar: After enforcing a complete ban on polythene carry bags and single-use plastic in urban areas in the State, the Odisha Government has decided to impose similar restrict on single-use plastic in rural areas from October 2 next year.
The decision was taken a meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy here today.
According to the government’s directive, single-use plastic will be banned in villages from Gandhi Jayanti next year.
The plastic waste processing centres will be opened in all the districts. The women SHGs will be engaged in manufacture of paper and cloth-based carry bags that will replace the polythene carry bags in villages.
The Panchayatiraj department has been instructed for proper management of plastic wastes in rural areas. The Public Works Department (PWD) was directed to use plastic wastes in road construction projects.
Notably, the State Government had imposed a ban manufacture, sell, trade, import, storing, carrying, transportation and distribution of the single-use plastics in all urban areas from Gandhi Jayanti this year.