Sandeep Rana
Chandigarh, July 2
Even as the MC today cracked down on those using single-use plastic items by challaning 76 violators and confiscating 82 kg of plastic bags, violations continue in the city.
Teams, under the supervision of chief sanitary inspectors, today carried out a major campaign against single-use plastic items in parts of the city, including sectors 2, 8, 9, 11, 19, 22, 26, 34, 42, 43, 45, Maloya, Kajheri and Mani Majra.
In fact, a joint task force of the MC and the Chandigarh Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has issued nearly 800 challans in the past six months.
It was second day of the nationwide ban of single-use plastic items by the Centre Government, but violations were rampant, both by customers as well as shopkeepers. Though these items are already banned in the city, the ban had remained on paper till now.
Charanjiv Singh, president, Chandigarh Beopar Mandal, said, “Traders are already following these norms. But since fresh guidelines have come, we should be made aware about these before challaning. There was an atmosphere of fear in the market due to the MC’s drive.”
Raghav Mohan, a resident of Sector 35, said, “Rather than challaning, the authorities should ensure there are no manufactures and hoarders of such items. Also no vehicle
carrying single-use plastic should enter the city. Taking such steps, its use will automatically come to an end.” Meanwhile, MC Commissioner Anindita Mitra said, “We found there are no manufacturers of plastic in Chandigarh. There are only hoarders, so we are keeping a check on them besides our challenging drive.”
“We have already been making people aware about the ill effects of selling or using harmful plastic bags and the other banned plastic items,” she added. If every citizen keeps a shopping bag with him or her, plastic bags can be completely eliminated from the markets.
Items banned
- Ear buds with plastic sticks, plastic sticks for balloons, plastic flags, candy sticks, ice cream sticks, polystyrene (thermocol) for decoration
- Plates, cups, glasses, cutlery such as forks, spoons, knives, straw, trays, wrapping or packaging film around sweet boxes, invitation cards and cigarette packets; plastic or PVC banners of less than 100 micron, stirrers.
(According to rule 4(2) of the PWM Rules, 2016 (as amended), the manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of the above-mentioned single-use plastic items, including polystyrene and expanded polystyrene commodities, is prohibited with effect from July 1, 2022)
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