TNPCB officials seize banned plastic items from shops in Yercaud

TNPCB officials raid shops in Yercaud ahead of the Summer Festival to enforce plastic ban, urging visitors to use cloth bags.

Ahead of the 47th Summer Festival and Flower Show in Yercaud, the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) officials raided shops in the hill town and seized banned plastic items.

Arrangements for the five-day summer festival, to be held from May 22 to 26, are in full swing at the hill station. The Salem District Collector, R. Brindha Devi, had announced a ‘plastic-free’ summer festival this year. Based on the Collector’s instructions, the TNPCB officials are raiding shops and seizing banned plastics.

The TNPCB officials said that visitors to Yercaud should avoid carrying single-use plastics such as cups, carry bags, plates, water packets, straws, flags, chocolates in plastic sticks, spoons, and knives, as these items will take years to decompose. Manufacture and sale of these items are banned in the State. They urged the tourists to use only cloth bags.

As on Monday, 12 kg of banned plastics were seized from 15 shops and a fine of ₹ 3,000 was levied on the shop owners. The officials of the Yercaud Block Development Office are also raiding shops. The anti-plastic drive will continue for the next one week, the officials said.