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MANGALORE: Mangalore taluk will be plastic free from this Rajyotsava Day. The taluk will impose a blanket ban on plastic on Thursday.

District in-charge minister CT Ravi will officially impose the ban by inaugurating an awareness jatha which will commence from Mangala stadium at 7.30am.

Ravi had directed deputy commissioner NS Channappa Gowda a few weeks ago to impose the plastic ban in Dakshina Kannada district. Accordingly, DC has issued a circular in this regard and the ban will be in force in the district from Thursday.

Channappa Gowda said that 15 days will be given for people to educate themselves against the use of plastic. "A vehicle with two home guards will be deployed to impose the ban. People will be educated against the use of plastic in the initial 15 days. However, later a penalty ranging from Rs 500 to Rs 1000 will be levied from those who violate the order," he said.

"A meeting of shops and establishment owners will be convened to seek their cooperation for the ban. They will be insisted to use alternative bags made of paper, cotton, terry cotton and other biodegradable materials instead of plastic. District administration has already ordered 6,000 bags made of terry cotton material and it will be distributed among petty shop owners and traders to create awareness among them," the DC said.

MCC TO SUPPORT DISTRICT ADMIN

The issue also figured in the monthly meeting of Mangalore City Corporation council where K Harish Kumar, commissioner, said the civic body will abide by directions given by the district administration with regard to the ban.

The landfill site at Pachchanady will be handed over to the successful bidder - IL&FS - under the three-package solid waste management scheme of MCC within a month.

"The company in turn will use the plastic collected separately during the door-to-door collection arrangement that the civic body will be starting soon - to produce oil," the MCC commissioner added.