Dist admn launches initiative to make Amritsar plastic-free

The district administration, in collaboration with the Central Jail and the OTT Transformative Trust, has launched a campaign to promote eco-friendly cloth bags as an alternative to plastic.

Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney said the campaign aims to curb the use of plastic and promote sustainable alternatives in the city. She said inmates of the Central Jail, Amritsar, will stitch eco-friendly cloth bags using raw materials sourced from the textile industry. The DC said a target has been set to produce 3.5 lakh cloth bags by November, which will be used in areas with high tourist influx.

The district administration will also seek support from market associations and civil defence volunteers to make the campaign a success.

The Deputy Commissioner said, “Our effort is to implement the instructions issued by the Punjab Pollution Control Board to curb the use of plastic. We will provide eco-friendly cloth bags as an alternative to plastic and fine shopkeepers who continue to use plastic.”

Dr Simarpreet Sandhu from OTT said this initiative will engage women or even men inmates of the Central Jail while also giving a replacement for plastic bags. “The cloth bags will be eco-friendly, durable and easy to carry and will be used on a priority basis in areas with high tourist influx.”

Dr Sandhu suggested that waste fabric rolls from textile mills in the city can be procured and turned into cloth bags. The funding for the project will be a collaborative effort between administration and non-profit. “The inmates, who participate in sewing or creating these bags would be paid some wages for it,” she said.