Hyderabad, May 02: Hyderabad is should extend wholehearted support to the Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) to make Hussainsagar a plastic-free zone, appealed Metropolitan Commissioner B P Acharya.
Launching the campaign at the People’s Plaza on Necklace Road here today, Acharya said plastic bags and other materials had badly damaged the environs of the lake. “We should put an end to the menace completely,’’ he emphasised.
The cleansing of the lake taken up by HMDA with the support of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) would be to no avail if plastic was not banned, he said.
The HMDA was banking on the support of NGOs, stakeholders and members of neighbourhood committees for effective implementation of the programme, he said.
Cloth bags and paper cups would be made available at NTR Gardens, Lumbini Park and Sanjeevaiah Park, and visitors carrying plastic bags will not be allowed to enter.
They would have to deposit the bags at the stalls and carry the clothbag instead by paying Rs 5. The amount would be refunded when the visitors leave the parks.
Buddha Purnima Project OSD MJ Akbar said it was imperative to keep the lake environment free of plastic.
Special Task Force teams would be deployed between 4:00 and 8:00 p.m. every day to oversee effective implementation of the programme, he said.
–Agencies