KOZHIKODE: Kozhikode Corporation will continue to enforce its ban on plastics below the thickness of 20 microns. Raids in shops and commercial establishments would continue in this regard.

The number of squads carrying out raids will be reduced from the current 10 to 5.

However, the number of members in each squad will be increased.

Also, health squads would be pressed into service to check hotels and also shops selling confectionary and other items, P.T. Rajan, chairman of the Corporation standing committee for health said here on Sunday.

He said prosecution steps would be taken against traders who continue to sell plastic materials below the specified thickness. The Corporation had already warned the traders against selling such materials.

More than 500 kg of plastic, below the thickness of 20 microns, was seized during raids last week.

Awareness drive

Meanwhile, programmes for making the public aware of the need to avoid plastic materials have already started in all the wards under the corporation.

Schools would also be targeted this week. Rallies involving school students would be kicked off from Monday. The aim was to clear off plastic materials by August 15.

Though the corporation authorities claim that the traders and the public were cooperating with the ban, not everything was rosy for the corporation with traders under the district committee of the Kerala Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samithi alleging that authorities were harassing them in the name of plastic ban.

Also, the Corporation has not yet taken steps to promote units making paper and cloth bags in its limits.

Earlier it was told that Kudumbashree units would manufacture such bags of natural materials.

The use of plastic materials inside the Medical College Hospital was banned by hospital authorities long ago, but it was alleged that food inside plastic covers found their way into the hospital easily. Though squads were checking the hospitals, the sale of such materials would resume once the squad left the premises, they allege.

The silver lining is that some of the traders are resorting to natural items for packing.

The corporation was also exploring ways to check the entry of plastic materials into its limits.

Demands for banning plastic in neighbouring panchayats have been raised by various organisations.

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