More Salt Lake markets may get cloth bag-vending kiosks
Times of India | 18 March 2024
Kolkata: A week after two cloth bag vending machines were installed at Salt Lake’s CA market, the initiative received an overwhelming response with several residents of surrounding blocks purchasing the eco-friendly bags.
The success at CA market — the first market in the state to have the facility — has prompted Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation (BMC) to plan setting up such machines in other Salt Lake markets with the help of the environment department.
“Many Salt Lake residents are now using the machines to buy cloth bags as alternatives to the plastic ones,” said Rajesh Chirimar, the local councillor and BMC MMiC in charge of markets.
The machines — provided by the state pollution control board in association with BMC — were inaugurated by state environment department minister Md Ghulam Rabbani last week as part of a pilot project. Nearly 200 cloth bags can be put inside one machine. A person has to insert a Rs 10 coin or pay through a mobile wallet by scanning a QR code for a bag to be dispensed. The number of remaining bags is displayed on a screen.
“We wholeheartedly support the initiative. I have already bought a cloth bag,” said Salt Lake BA Block residents’ association president Arunava Das. “More awareness will help the initiative,” said local resident Santanu Das. He was echoed by another local, Suvendu Kundu. A shopkeeper said this initiative will help them as many of them are unable to afford thick bags measuring over 120 microns.