A litre of petrol will cost you Rs.1 and a litre of diesel will cost you 50 paise less. Are you shocked to hear this piece of news? This happened in a petrol pump in the Bhilwara district of Rajasthan, India where you can exchange used milk packets and water bottles. The Rajasthan state government has banned single-use plastics from the first of July 2022 under the New Plastic Waste Management Rule (Amendment) 2021. In this context, Ashok Kumar Mundra the owner of Chhaganlal Bagtawarmal came to the fore with his initiative to save the environment by stopping single-use plastics.
He charges one rupee for one litre of petrol and fifty paise for one litre of diesel in exchange for empty milk packets and water bottles at his petrol pump. He started this campaign on the fifteenth of July. He got support from the district administration, the Pollution Control Board and Saras Dairy.”To raise awareness about the use of plastic and polythene, I started this campaign.
In addition to harming the environment, polythene and plastic represent a hazard to stray animals, especially cows, thus I’d like to see Bhilwara become a plastic and polythene-free state” says Ashok Kumar Mundra.
Saras Dairy has agreed to remove the empty pouches stacked at the petrol pump. Mundra expected ten thousand milk packets a month but received only seven hundred because of the decrease in the number of people utilising petrol pumps in the monsoon season. Bottles and pouches are collected at the petrol pump and left nearby. The dairy eventually gets them.
The district Collector, Ashish Modi acknowledged that “The owner of the petrol station presented a plan to raise awareness about SUPs. He provided discounts on empty milk pouches and water bottles. The campaign has already begun”.
These kinds of environment-friendly approaches are gratifying in the present scenario of the rising rates of petrol and diesel along with environmental pollution caused by plastic. We hope that many people such as Ashok Kumar Mundra will come forward with their new initiatives for the protection of Nature.