The district administration has launched a massive drive to free the
district from the menace of plastics and has begun recruiting 12,000
‘green warriors’ – volunteers to inform, educate and communicate (IEC)
one-to-one with the public to achieve the task.

Launching the
drive with a signature campaign and logo release recently, Minister for
Khadi and Village Industries Board G. Baskaran and Collector G. Latha
impressed upon the people to say ‘no’ to plastics, segregate solid waste
at the doorstep and avoid open defecation to make the district clean
and green.

The district had three lakh households and there would
be one green warrior for every 25 households to inform, educate and
communicate with the people on the danger posed by plastic wastes and
the need to avoid open defecation.

“The process of recruiting
green warriors is going on in full swing and we will launch the ICE
programme next week,” Ms Latha said. Simultaneously, the warriors,
mostly members of women self help groups, non-governmental organisations
and Nehru Yuva Kendras would educate the people on the need to
segregate degradable and non-degradable solid wastes at their doorstep
and opt for individual toilets.

All those who were interested in
making the district green and clean could become green warriors. A
massive awareness campaign with a series of cultural events,
competitions, marathons and wall paintings would be launched at all
levels in rural and urban local bodies, the Collector said.

After
month-long IEC, the district administration, with the help of sponsors,
proposed to distribute cloth bags to the people and persuade them to
avoid using plastics during the whole of February before initiating
penal actions in March, B. Kanchana, Project Director, District Rural
Development Agency, said.

As part of the awareness campaign, Ms.
Latha addressed churches and jamats on Sunday as part of eliciting the
support of all sections of society. A Rangoli competition had been
arranged for January 12 and the winners would be given 1, 2 and 4 gms of
gold, said officials.