Hyderabad: State Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari has instructed officials to create a plan to make Amrabad Tiger Reserve completely free of plastic by the end of July this year.
During a meeting with officials from the Forests, Panchayat Raj, and Pollution Control Board, the Chief Secretary discussed measures to achieve this goal. She emphasized the need to ban plastic bags, bottles, and other plastic items in the reserve area. Santhi Kumari also urged officials to establish more check posts to enforce the ban and promote eco-friendly alternatives like paper bags and cloth/jute bags.
In addition, officials were tasked with launching awareness campaigns through various media platforms and installing sign boards at different levels to spread the message about the plastic ban. Local vendors along the highway near the Tiger Reserve were also instructed to be educated about the restrictions on plastic use in the area.
Furthermore, the Chief Secretary highlighted the importance of relocating residents from four settlements within the Amrabad Tiger Reserve according to the scheduled timeline. She stressed the utilization of funds under ‘Haritha Nidhi’ within the same year. Additionally, efforts to eliminate plastic use at the Maisamma temple in Mahbubnagar district were also discussed.
The meeting was attended by Principal Secretaries Vani Prasad and Sandeep Kumar Sultania, as well as other officials including R M Dobriyal, Buddha Prakash Jyothi, and Hanumantha Rao.
