PIONEER NEWS SERVICE/ Jyotirmath
To help reduce plastic waste on the Badrinath route during the Char Dham Yatra, the Chamoli district administration has been implementing a QR code system on water bottles and other plastic packaging known as the Deposit Refund System (DRS). Informing about the system, the sub-divisional magistrate, Jyotirmath, Chandra Shekhar Vashisht said that it involves a deposit on the packaging that can be refunded when the packaging is returned. “This is a move towards making Badrinath Dham and the Yatra route plastic free. As per a contract involving the district administration and the recycling company, the company has provided QR codes of minimum Rs 10 on plastic bottles to the wholesalers, shop owners, hoteliers and restaurant operators. The deposit refund counters have been set up in Govindghat, Badrinath Dham and Mana,” he said, adding that action would be taken against those found selling water in plastic bottles sans QR code at these places.
