Mayor urges traders in his ward to shun plastic

Mayor B N Manjunatha Reddy on Sunday urged shopkeepers in his ward (Madiwala) to shun plastic bags and use environment-friendly alternatives. 

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) organised a rally in ward number 172 to spread awareness about the harmful effects of plastic. The rally was flagged off near the Madiwala police station. Hundreds of citizens, including schoolchildren, took part in it. 

Sanjay Gowda, a shopkeeper, said that he had already stopped using plastic bags. Some days ago, the Palike had called a meeting with traders and local residents. “We were informed how plastic can pollute the environment. Most of the shops in this ward are located on Madiwala main road and in Maruthinagar. We were given two cloth bags on Sunday. It’s a good move,” Gowda said. 

In Horamavu, the BBMP tied up with the Horamavu Abhivruddhi Seva Samiti to start an awareness drive. 

Horamavu corporator Radhamma Venkatesh, who kick-started the drive, said that if the households segregated garbage into wet and dry waste, Bengaluru’s garbage problem would be solved to a great extent. She also urged people to stop using plastic bags.