Visakhapatnam, Aug 26: Andhra Pradesh Government signed MoU with ‘Parley for the Oceans’ organisation to clean the shores of the State and make Andhra Pradesh Plastic Free by 2027, here on Friday in the presence of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister asserted that environment and economy are two sides of a coin and stated that his government is moving ahead with inclusivity and
sustainability to protect and nurture the environment. He said that Visakhapatnam has taken up the world’s largest beach cleaning programme with the participation of over 22,000 people at a stretch of 28 km starting from Gokul Beach to Bheemili Beach, about 76 tons of plastic was collected from the seashore.
Emphasizing that it is the responsibility of all people to save the oceans, he said that 70 percent of the world’s oxygen comes from marine plants, adding that the plastic debris has affected at least 267 species of marine species worldwide. He said that the State government has been taking steps to protect the environment and thus brought an industrial policy that encourages companies to adopt green and clean production measures. Also, he stated that around four thousand garbage collection vehicles have been arranged across the state in October 2021, which resulted in an increase in garbage collection rate from 22 to 62 percent.
The MoU was signed by MUD Special CS YV Srilakshmi on behalf of the State and Cyrill Gutsch on behalf of the Americam based NGO.
In order to curb the plastic menace, the state government made pacts with organisations like Global Alliance for a Sustainable Planet and Parley for the Oceans. The Chief Minister said that Parley company removes plastic waste from the ocean and recycles and
manufactures many products. As part of the MoU, Parley Future Institute along with Parley Super Hub will be set up in Andhra Pradesh to manufacture goods with recycled plastic, which attracts investment of Rs 16,000 crore in the next six years and generate employment for over 20,000 people.
On this occasion, the Chief Minister went around the stalls and inspected recycled goods like shoes, wallets, and glasses. Also, he had worn a pair of goggles that were made from recycled plastic.
Ministers Vidadala Rajani, Gudivada Amarnath, Adimulapu Suresh, Rajiv Kumar of Leadership Council and former Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog, Satya S Tripathi, Secretary-General of Global Alliance for a Sustainable Planet, Cyrill Gutsch CEO of Parley for the Oceans and other officials were present on the occasion.
