The government will provide a one-time financial support for youth-led recycling startups for abandoned and discarded fishing nets and other plastic waste that litter coastal areas, Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav said on Saturday.
Yadav unveiled the guidelines for one-time financial support for establishing recycling plants while taking part in a beach cleanup drive at Juhu Beach in Mumbai on the occasion of International Coastal Cleanup Day.
These guidelines have been developed to provide one-time financial support to project proponents towards capital costs of setting up recycling plant & machinery for Abandoned, Lost & Discarded Fishing Gears (ALDFGs) and other plastic waste with high littering potential in coastal areas. The focus is on establishing fishing gears/net and marine plastic waste recycling facilities in the twelve blue flag certified beaches in the country.
New plastic waste and fishing gear/net recycling units that possess a valid Consent to Establish (CTE) and located beyond Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) and permissible under local by-laws and regulations shall be eligible for assistance, the guidelines state.
Preference shall be given to new plastic recycling units proposed to be located optimally closer to beach, harbour, fishing hotspots, high tourist footfall area and any other strategically important area where no restriction is imposed by any government institution/body for setting up the unit. Also, priority shall be given to registered fishermen societies interested in setting up fishing gear/net recycling units.
{{/usCountry}}Preference shall be given to new plastic recycling units proposed to be located optimally closer to beach, harbour, fishing hotspots, high tourist footfall area and any other strategically important area where no restriction is imposed by any government institution/body for setting up the unit. Also, priority shall be given to registered fishermen societies interested in setting up fishing gear/net recycling units.
{{/usCountry}}The one-time financial assistance will be provided from Central Pollution Control Board’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) funds including Environmental Compensation as well as through Environmental Protection Fund created under the Environmental (Protection) Act, 1986, for establishing a total of 25 units near blue flag beaches (13 nylon fishing gear/net recycling units and 12 plastic waste recycling units).
It will cover the plant and machinery costs for the washing line, grinder/shredder/crusher, drying equipment, agglomerator, extruder, and pollution control devices (including the effluent treatment plant). The cost of land, as well as civil and electrical works, operation and maintenance expenses, and any other recurring costs, shall be borne by the proponent.
Financial support will be provided as a one-time grant of either ₹19 lakh per tonne of production capacity or 40% of the capital cost of the plastic waste recycling plant and machinery, whichever is lower, subject to a maximum of ₹38 lakh per proposal. For setting up nylon fishing gear/ net recycling plant, one-time financial support will be provided of either ₹24 lakh per tonne of production capacity or 40% of the capital cost, whichever is lower, subject to a maximum of ₹48 lakh per proposal.