TN’s Ranipet District Creates Elite World Record By Collecting 186.9 Metric Tonnes Of Plastic Waste In 3 Hours

The Ranipet District Administration managed to execute a mass Plastic Waste Collection Drive on May 27, 2022, which involved 36000 stakeholders, including Government Staff, Members of the Legislative Assembly, Elected Representatives of all Urban and Rural local bodies, Sanitary workers, Members of Self-Help Groups, MGNREGS Workers, Student Volunteers, Highway workers, and public participation. Now the feat has earned the district a place in Elite World Records, Asian Records Academy, India Records Academy, and Tamilan Book of Records for the title “Largest Plastic Waste Collection Drive within 2500 Square Kilometres in 3 Hours”.

According to District Collector D. Baskara Pandian, with a sincere commitment to protect mother nature and to create a plastic-free environment, we have organized a massive plastic waste collection drive on May 27,2022, in which all the 288 Village panchayats, 8 Town Panchayats, and 6 Municipalities actively participated. The initiative aimed to fulfill the mission and vision of the Honourable Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Sri.M.K.Stalin, in ensuring Plastic Free Environment. I thank Thiru.R.Gandhi, Honourable Minister for Handlooms and Textiles, for supporting the District Administration in all aspects. With the guidance of Dr.V. Irai Anbu, Chief Secretary to the Government of Tamil Nadu, we at Ranipet District created a new world record by collecting 186.9 metric tonnes of plastic waste, surpassing the existing world record set by Switzerland, which weighed 128.7 tonnes in 3 hours.

District Collector Mr.D.Baskara Pandian led the Plastic Waste Collection Drive in Ranipet District along with other stakeholders in the massive initiative.

He further pointed out that to grab the public attention and ensure plastic-free environment, we decided on this mission as a world record project, and we were able to succeed in this due to careful planning and perfect execution at each level. I am apprehensive about the fact that plastic waste is not only a threat to humankind, it also kills millions of birds, animals and marine organisms every year. I will be pleased to see this record being broken immediately in near future there by eradicating tons of plastics from the environment, he concluded.

P. Kumareswaran, DRO, pointed out the sincere efforts of District Collector, starting from the awareness created with respect to the ill effects of dioxin emitted due to burning plastics, soil contaminations, severe threat of plastics to humans, flora and fauna etc., to all the stake holders of the district. Due to meticulous planning and proper execution, this project has disrupted the demand and supply chain to halt new plastics entering the district, he concluded.

G. Loganayagi, Project Director-DRDA, praised the project in a developmental prospective pointing out the vision of District collector to replace the single use plastics by promoting farm products such as Banana, orchid and palm leaves etc. and this mission with immediate effect will preserve our water resources, and prevent the livestock and aqua- marine organisms consuming the Micro plastics.

The Presence of plastic in the environment hurt ecosystems and human health and pose a threat to food safety as well. The project has given a platform for safe environment and happy living. We are pleased to certify this project as a new world record, said Ameet. K. Hingorani, Senior Adjudicator, Elite World Records.

Glimpses of World Record Citation Received by D.BaskaraPandian IAS., (District Collector, Ranipet District) along with P.Kumareswaran (District Revenue Officer), and G.Loganayagi, (Project Director – District Rural Development Agency) from Adjudicators of Elite World Records, Asian Records Academy, India Records Academy and Tamilan Book of Records at the Citation Ceremony.

I along with 9 more ratifying officers physically inspected the activity and we verified all the weighing process at weighing bridges and dump yards of the plastic waste. I am glad that they have removed industrial plastic waste, institutional plastic waste, domestic plastic waste and legacy plastic waste at all identified locations. This mission has also recovered single use plastic waste from residential areas, empty plots, roads, state and national highways, companies and commercial establishments. I am sure this project has given a safe nature-friendly environment, said Dr.A.K.SenthilKkumar,Ambassador, Asian Records Academy.

This Visionary Project executed by the district administration of ranipet will be an everlasting asset to the district and the people should be responsible to practice plastic free environment, said P.Jeganathan,Associate Editor, India Records Academy.

This project has created awareness on importance of plastic free environment for future generations; this is a new milestone in our state, said Dr.B.BalaSubramanian, Senior Records Manager, Tamilan Book of Records.

On behalf of the district administration, world record titles were conferred to District Collector; on the whole, this project has gained a lot of public appreciation.