Plastic ban: FSSAI

Plastic ban: FSSAI warns against flouting norms by SENTHIL

 

VELLORE: While the entire state is gearing up for a complete plastic ban from Januray 2019, the Vellore district designated officer for Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) had warned the shop keepers as well as water plant owners of stringent action if they try to flout the norms.

Addressing the reporters, J Venkatesh, designated officer of Vellore FSSAI , said the tamil nadu government had ordered ban on manufacture, sale, storage and usage of disposable plastic items including plastic cups, water sachets, carry bags, plastic plates and other items excluding polythene sachets used for packing milk, curd and medical items from January 1 2019.

The ban which aims to protect the environment for future generations will also help put to rest the stagnated one –use plastic materials sans creating further pollution.

Among the other plastic waste generated in the district, the consumed water pouches plays a major role polluting the environment in the district . At least 1,000 water packets are thrown on the streets of vellore districts daily, he said.

“As an excellent start to the ban,we had instructed the drinking water plants in Vellore to stop manufacturing and distributing water packets to its retailers after October. By all means manufacturing and distributing of water pouches is banned from first week of November,” he said.

Venkatesh notified that out of 69 water plants in the vellore district about 60 per cent of them are involved in manufacturing of water packets and all of them are using plastic that is below 50 microns. It is also hard to vigil disposed pouches been used by spurious water manufacturing companies, he said.

Venaktesh warned to take appropriate action under food safety act 2006 on water plant owners and retail shop owners who try to flout the order .