CMA receives award for reducing single-use plastic campaign

The Cement Manufacturers Association (CMA) atteneded at an event organised by the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Government of India, on 19 November 2019, in New Delhi where an award was presented to Mahendra Singhi, President, CMA and Aparna Dutt Sharma, Secretary General, CMA, by the Ministry of Jal Shakti.

In his Independence Day speech on 15 August 2019, the Prime Minister spoke of the need to reduce single use plastic in the country. Subsequently, the Ministry of Jal Shakti led the Swachhata hi Seva campaign, with Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi launching it on 11 September 2019. CMA was identified as a valuable partner for its potential role in the management of non-recyclable single-use plastic waste under the Swachhata hi Seva campaign.

The campaign involved collaboration in two phases, viz, awareness creation in Phase I, and plastic waste disposal in Phase II. During the first phase of awareness creation, from 11 September-1 October 2019, over 32.5m people were directly sensitised about the ill effects of single-use plastic, which encompassed 545 activities conducted across 377 villages in 17 states by the cement industry.

The award was presented to Mr Mahendra Singhi, President CMA and Ms Aparna Dutt Sharma, Secretary General, CMA, by the Ministry of Jal Shakti. Shri Sadananda Gowda, Honourable Union Minister, Ministry of  Chemicals and Fertilisers; Shri Rattan Lal Kataria, Honourable Minister of State, Ministry of Jal Shakti and Social Justice and Empowerment; and, Shri Parameswaran Iyer, Secretary, Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ministry of
Jal Shakti were the distinguished guests at the event.