Bhubaneswar: The Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) has launched several initiatives to ensure a plastic-free Baliyatra 2025. Commissioner Kirandeep Kaur Sahota, IAS, is leading the team, with Jubulee Behera, Deputy Commissioner, Sanitation, CMC, spearheading the sanitation campaign.
The CMC has partnered with Coca-Cola for PET Bottle Management, ensuring systematic collection and recycling under Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) compliance. Five dedicated ‘Swachh Shops’ have been installed for efficient collection, sorting, and segregation of plastic and dry waste.
Visitors depositing used PET bottles at counters receive cash-based incentives. Strict enforcement is in place to prevent single-use plastic in fairgrounds, supported by vendor awareness drives. The CMC is promoting biodegradable cutlery and carry bags among vendors and visitors.
The “Give Plastic, Take Bag” campaign encourages citizens to deposit plastic waste for eco-friendly bags. Additionally, “Mo Khata” sale stalls promote organic compost at prominent locations, showing increasing popularity among citizens. Multiple stalls/kiosks are installed at Historic Baliyatra, with overwhelming sales evident of growing acceptance as an alternative organic compost.
