Quick Response Teams (QRT) Constituted for SWM Bye-Law Enforcement
Port Blair, March 8: Plastics are very hazardous to marine life, killing more than a million birds and over 100,000 seals, turtles, and whales, and an immense number of fishes in our ocean. Clean up drives encourages us to get out to our beaches and coastal areas and help to limit this problem by cleaning up the garbage that is washed up to the shores and leftovers left by visitors every day.
With this aim, cleanliness drive was organised at different locations in South Andaman District on 7th March 2021 by Directorate of RD, PRIs and ULBs with active support of civil society organisations.
All India People Welfare Association (AIPWA), Local Youth Club, Sanitation Staff and Villagers of Beodnabad Gram Panchayat conducted one SUCH drive at Rangachang No.2 beach opposite to Hotel Park and collected more than 100 kg of plastics, glass bottles etc.
Another mega drive was organised at GP Calicut in collaboration with Kesariya Hindu Vahini. An awareness programme was also held in the Community Hall, Calicut for sensitization of the general public. The civil society members with the assistance of Gram Panchayat constituted a Quick Response Team (QRT) in each of the wards to monitor the implementation of the SWM Bye Laws and to ensure its compliance. More than 150 bags of waste were collected and transported to SWM cluster for recycling.
Similar, cleanliness drive was also held at Collinpur in collaboration with an NGO - Living on the Edge (LOTE), wherein more than 50 bags containing around 250 Kgs of marine litter in the form of Plastic, Glass bottles etc. were collected and sent for recycling.
The Secretary (RD) has exhorted for proactive involvement of Civil Society organizations in regular cleanliness drives so that the Department aim to achieve the target of ODF Plus villages before the target date fixed by the Ministry and making Andaman & Nicobar #ZeroWasteIslands is achieved soon.