Mysuru has become the first city in the State which has been identified to be made free from the usage of single-use plastic and an announcement in this regard was made at the valedictory of the 69th Wildlife Week held in Mysuru on Saturday.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah declared to make Mysuru, a cultural center of Karnataka, a single-use plastic-free city in the coming days and the support of the people, stakeholders, government departments, and agencies had been sought for achieving the milestone.
Besides Mysuru, four other cities identified under the initiative are Bidar, Kalaburagi, Tumakuru, and Dharmasthala.
Expressing happiness over the initiative, the Chief Minister said freeing the city from single-use plastic was the need of the hour since the risks it posed to the environment and also to the wildlife was terrible. Mysuru has been chosen under the initiative since it’s a tourist city and also an important cultural center. Alternatives to single use plastics need to be found, he suggested.
Minister for Forest and Environment Eshwar Khandre said the efforts will start from Mysuru and the department, with the support and cooperation of the people and the agencies, will strive to get rid of single-use plastic from the city.
MLA and former Minister Tanveer Sait felt that the local bodies need to be taken into confidence for making it happen since freeing the city from single use plastic was a challenging task.
Minister in charge of Mysuru district H.C. Mahadevappa also spoke.
On the occasion, the Chief Minister released a postal envelope on Kokkarebellur bird sanctuary and a technical report on Kokkarebellur.
The Forest Minister released a documentary on Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary.
The forest staff, including Dasara jumbo mahout Vasanth and kavadi Rajanna, forest veterinarian Dr. Mujeeb Rehman, Mysuru zoo keeper Somashekar and B. Linge Gowda of Hejjarle Balaga, and Kokkare Bellur, were felicitated in recognition of their services. Pourakarmikas were also felicitated on the occasion.
Earlier, the Chief Minister, accompanied by ministers, MLAs and senior forest officials, visited the stalls put up by the Zoo Authority of Karnataka, the Forest Department and the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board, showcasing their achievements and works.
