Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) introduced a new plastic-free initiative where shopkeepers were offered a reward of ₹2000 for helping them track down the plastic bag suppliers. This initiative is the brainchild of Firhad Hakim, State Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Minister and Mayor of Kolkata. 

He visited Chetla Bazar in South Kolkata along with his team on December 1 to spread awareness about the importance of having a plastic-free environment. He will be visiting more places in the coming days. 

The corporation also distributed cloth and jute bags in the street and suggested the public to use old clothes to produce bags. 

“We are distributing bins to every household so that they could use them to throw waste. We are requesting everyone not to use plastic bags and cups to protect the environment from pollution. We distributed jute and cloth bags to reduce the use of plastic bags. There is no shame in cleaning garbage and waste from your neighbourhood. If the Mayor of Kolkata can do it, then others can also do it. At the end of the day, your and your family’s health is more important than your prestige,” Hakim told The Indian Express. 

Hakim is known as a public-friendly representative who previously launched initiatives to create awareness about cleanliness and sanitation. A few weeks ago, he also took part in a drive in the city where he addressed pollution and ways to keep the neighbourhood healthy and clean. 

In 2018, he spearheaded a programme where he released a phone number to which public could WhatsApp message the picture of the roads that were unclean and the civic body would act immediately on it.  He is also available every Wednesday for an hour from 4 P.M. on a toll-free number for a one-to-one conversation.

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