Karnataka - Mangalore   

The carry bag refuses to go away

BLIND TO REALITY:It is not just the people who are affected by the menace of reckless dumping of plastic waste.

MANGALORE: In April and May, M. Shilpa's neighbourhood grocer in Urwa supplied groceries in thicker plastic bags after authorities launched a drive to prevent the use of thin plastic bags. But in June the shopkeeper supplied groceries in the usual thin plastic carry bags.

Also it was expected that thickness of the bags would ensure fewer plastic bags dumped near the dust bins. Rag-pickers were expected to take away plastics for recycling and earn some more money. But contrary to expectations, garbage bins continue to overflow with plastic bags. Rag-pickers still pick only milk sachets which have good resale value.

While the use of thin plastic carry bags continue in several shops and establishments in the city, the Mangalore City Corporation (MCC) authorities claim there has been a drastic reduction in its use. So far, the corporation has booked 116 cases against owners of shops and hotels for dispensing groceries and food products in plastic carry bags that are less than 40 micron thickness.

This thickness has been prescribed under the Plastic Waste (Management and Handling) Rules 2011 that were notified on February 7. Apart from thickness, the rules state the plastic carry bags should either be white or made using recommended pigments or colours (prescribed in IS 9833:1981) for food, pharmaceuticals, and water. It states that each plastic bag should carry the name and registration number of the manufacturer.

The municipal corporations have to enforce rules related to use, collection, segregation, and transportation.

The Karnataka State Pollution Control Board is enforcing the rules related to manufacture, recycling, and disposal.

Drive to intensify

It is for the first time in April that the Mangalore City Corporation launched a drive to book cases against those who have been violating the rules. “We have seen to it that the business establishments do not use carry bags which are less than 40 micron thickness,” says Commissioner K.N. Vijayaprakash. He has promised to launch another drive.

About monitoring plastic carry bags used in hotels for carrying food, Mr. Vijayaprakash says they are insisting on hotels to use plastic bags that have thickness of more than 40 microns.

“As a result of our action, hotels have stopped packing chutney in plastic bags and are using plantain leaves,” he says.

As many as 116 cases were booked and a fine of Rs. 250 was collected against each offender on April 2. Any repeat of the offence, Mr. Vijayaprakash says, will lead to cancellation of the trade license. As many as 10 health officers have been given plastic thickness measuring instruments and are assigned the task of checking the business establishments at regular intervals. A similar drivewill be launched after July 15, he says.

Mr. Vijayaprakash says a sustained campaign involving Food and Civil Supplies Department and the public will help in better enforcement on the ban on thin plastic bags.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Stay away from drugs, youth urged
Convenience is what matters
Manufacturers make adjustments after the ban comes into force
The carry bag refuses to go away
Rain soaks Mangalore, couple injured after house collapses
Accident just before VIP convoy movement
‘Sunni Muslim Jamaat Okkoota' comes into being
Rain triggers viral fever outbreak
In Mangalore Today

Copyright © 2011, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu