9 kg of polythene bags confiscated, seven shopkeepers challaned

Ajay Ramola

Tribune News Service

Mussoorie, August 27

A Mussoorie Municipal Council (MC) team served challan notices of Rs 5,000 each on seven shopkeepers and confiscated 9 kg of polythene bags from them during a drive in Mussoorie today.

The drive led by Dr RK Singh, MC Health Officer, was conducted from the Bhotia Market till Kulri Bazaar. Shopkeepers in possession of polythene bags hid them on seeing the MC team approach their shops. Several shopkeepers were let off with a stern warning and on a pledge by them that they would not use polythene bags in their shops again. Dr RK Singh said earlier they were collecting fine on the spot but now they would serve challans of Rs 5,000 each through court. He added the MC had completely banned the use of polythene bags in the town and is promoting cloth bags instead. He appealed to the people to abstain from using polythene bags in the town as it was becoming a big headache.

Dr RK Singh said the MC was committed towards effective solid waste management in the town. Around 73 pits and a segregation house near the IDH building on the Tehri bypass were being constructed and these would be functional within a few months once the road to the segregation house that was damaged during rains is reconstructed.

He added that the MC would collect biodegradable waste in pits, once these are constructed, and would convert it into manure. MC Executive Officer DS Rana said a compactor machine had been installed near the IDH building where plastic waste was compacted into waste bricks and then sent to the Kathgodam plant for recycling. “At present the MC was using Tata Ace and utility vehicles for door to door waste collection in eight wards of Mussoorie everyday. The MC has recycled more than 5,000 kg of plastic waste and earned Rs 26,000 so far. It is expected to earn more in coming months,” he said.

Around 14 tonnes to 16 tonnes of waste was collected from the town everyday, said Rana. MC officials namely Raviraj Bangari and Mahavir Bhandari took part in the drive.