Panaji : The Goa government plans to phase out plastic which is plaguing the state’s beaches and adding to the garbage menace, Forest Minister Alina Saldanha said Thursday.
“The government intends to phase out use of plastic like carry bags, sachets, wrappers, etc., for domestic use,” Saldanha said in a written reply to the Goa legislative assembly.
She added that PET bottles and carry-bags have already been banned in coastal areas as well as in the state capital Panaji.
The minister, however, added that these anti-plastic measures would take a while to implement.
“The implementation will be done in a phased manner by involving all stakeholders and by conducting appropriate sensitisation and awareness programmes for general public and tourists,” Saldanha said.
Goa has been grappling with the issue of garbage management, with the state being unable to identify a single site to dispose garbage for over a decade. It is not unusual to find piles of garbage strewn along the roads as well as near urban hubs in this beach tourism destination.