Centre approves plastic park in Mangaluru

Mangaluru: The Union Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers has approved a plastic park to be constructed on 90 acres of land at Ganjimatha here.

The project, which is estimated to cost around Rs 1,000 crore, is intended to put more emphasis on plastics manufacturing and plastic recycling technology. There are many plastic products manufacturing units in the country. These units are small and are unable to meet the demand. Thus most plastic products have to be imported. To overcome this, the government has set up plastic parks across the country.

6 plastic parks in various States had been sanctioned. In addition, the process of establishing plastic parks in Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Odisha and Assam has been initiated. However, the Mangaluru plastic park, sanctioned amongst the first six, was still pending approval while construction of all others is already underway.

Speaking to reporters recently, MP Nalin Kumar Kateel said, “The establishment of a plastic park in Mangaluru will be implemented in the coming days. I heartily thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi, late Ananth Kumar, DV Sadananda Gowda, Chief Minister Yediyurappa on behalf of the people of coastal Karnataka.”

Kateel also expressed his gratitude through a tweet.

Opportunities for setting up a plastic park in Dakshina Kannada district existed from a long time. After a polypropylene plant was started by MRPL, there was a demand for a plastic park in the district. The waste from the polypropylene unit can be used as a raw material in the plastic park.

The Canara Plastic Manufacturers and Traders Association had appealed to the central government several years ago to establish a plastic park. Accordingly, the Union Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers had written to the State government, instructing to submit a proposal for the same.