The Uttarakhand government will implement the QR Code-based Digital Deposit Refund Scheme (DDRS) across the state to make hill areas plastic-free.

Launching the scheme in Dehradun on Wednesday, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said it would require tourists coming to Uttarakhand to deposit their used plastic materials at the DDRS centres.

The Dhami Government in the state will open the DDRS collection centres in the hill areas to collect plastic waste, carrying QR codes, from the tourists and local public.

The decision was taken after the success of a pilot project in Rudraprayag town, on the way to Kedarnath and Badrinath shrines, implemented a couple of years ago. The Rudraprayag district was also declared one of the best and proficient users of the Digital Deposit Scheme for the collection of plastic materials and was rewarded Digital India Award 2022.

Although the Uttarakhand Pollution Control Board has not disclosed the number of DDRS centers it plans to set up, officials confided that tourists carrying plastic materials to the hills would have to deposit their plastic items at these centres.

As per the scheme, people carrying waste plastic items will have to scan QR Codes on them to detect the nearest collection center. They will be paid back a fixed amount of the cost of their materials on scanning the barcode at the plastic collection centers. According to UPCB officials, implementation of the DDRS will help bring back plastic wastes in circular economy loot and ensure the conservation of natural resources and the environment.

The chief minister said, “DDRS is an important step to protect the environment, reduce plastic consumption and maximum possible recycle of the plastic materials. The initiative will help create a clean environment and minimise garbage collection in the Char Dham Yatra routes and other tourist places in the hills.”

Dhami added that rivers, forests, and mountains are the heritages and identities of the Himalayan state but massive use of plastics has run the risk of their deterioration. Schemes like the DDRS will prove a long-term solution for their safety.