The city Corporation has come up with a revival plan for cloth-bag making units that it had set up a few years ago to wean the public away from the usage of plastic carry bags.
The Corporation’s health wing has also handed over the responsibility of running the units to Kudumbashree Community Development Societies (CDS). The civic body’s Health Officer had earlier submitted a report in which it was pointed out that the health wing does not have the necessary human resources or facilities to oversee the running of the units.
The Corporation is currently running the cloth-bag making units at Muttada, Nettayam, Vallakkadavu, Pongumoodu, and Kunnanpaara. Three more are proposed to be set up in Kattayikkonam, Vanchiyoor and Kalippankulam wards. As per the revival plan, the product range will be diversified and sold under the Corporation’s brand name.
For the initial running of the new units, funds will be allocated from the Corporation’s own fund. Revolving fund will also be sought from Kudumbashree. Health inspectors will be tasked with aiding in the marketing of the cloth bags in their respective health circles by promoting its usage among traders in their region. In addition to this, a strong marketing mechanism will be put in place.
With the warranty period of all the sewing machines used for making the clothbags having expired, the civic body will enter into an annual maintenance contract with the manufacturer. The machines, which are currently out of order, will be repaired. A ‘cloth bag in each house’ programme will be implemented through the Kudumbashree units and Haritha Karma Senas to further popularise the use of such bags. Whenever the health wing seizes banned plastic carry bags during raids in shops, cloth bags will be provided instead of the seized material with the cost being collected from the owner.
The raw materials will be bulk purchased directly from cloth mills or through approved agencies so as to cut down on the production cost. A total of 75 Kudumbashree beneficiaries will be trained in cloth-bag making and book-keeping for the running of the centres. The Corporation’s National Urban Livelihoods Mission cell will prepare a bylaw regarding the running of the units.
