The Newtown Markets of Kolkata set forth India’s First Plastic-free market drive. The project, undertaken by the New Town Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA), was initiated in the form of a pilot project in the CB Block market of the township.
To make the local markets plastic-free, NKDA will distribute 2,500-odd households in the area a free pair of cloth shopping bags. Residents can also shop for non-vegetarian foods using biodegradable plastic packets. For the next three months, some kiosks will be set up in New Town to sell such cloth bags to residents and shopkeepers of the CB market.
According to NKDA Chairman Debashis Sen, this is a first-of-its-kind project conceived and to be carried out by NKDA to turn the sector into a fully plastic-free zone in the next two years.
Debashis Sen added that the pilot project in the CB Sector combines three initiatives: solid waste segregation, a plastic-free CB market, and COVID-19-related precautionary steps.
Those who fail to carry cloth bags for shopping will be asked by volunteers to purchase a cloth bag from a designated store before they can begin shopping, according to officials.
Those who obey the rules will be honoured by the officials, who will display their photos on a "wall of fame" at the market's entrance.
Two NGOs will assist the NKDA in implementing the project and will operate under the supervision of a team of NKDA officials.
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