Plastic parks in Odisha and Madhya Pradesh get Centre's final nod

In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, on December 17, 2013, the Minister for Chemicals & Fertilizers, Srikant Kumar Jena, informed that Centre has given final approval for setting up of plastic parks in Odisha at Siju Village, Kujanga Tehsil, in Jagatsinghpur District and in Madhya Pradesh at Tamot Village, Gohargunj Tehsil, of Raisen District. ‘In principle approval’ has also been accorded to the proposed plastic parks in Assam, Tinsukia District and in Tamil Nadu at Voyalur Village, PonneriTaluk of Thiruvallur District.
 
Jena said that the Government of India provides grant funding up to 50% of the project cost, subject to a ceiling of Rs 40 crore per project under the scheme.
 
He said indiscriminate littering of used plastic bags and the absence of organized segregation/cleaning of plastic wastes in urban centers is a major area of concern. Accordingly, the Ministry of Environment and Forest has notified the Plastic Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011 under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. These Rules regulate the manufacture and usage of certain plastic products, and the management of plastic waste. The minister added that the virgin plastic bags are not per-se injurious to health or hazardous to environment as Plastic is a chemically inert substance, but recycled / coloured bags are.