ULB seeks report on plastic ban from Faridabad civic authorities

Faridabad, November 13

Directorate of Urban Local Bodies (ULB) has sought an action-taken report from Municipal Corporation Faridabad (MCF) on the status of the ongoing ban on plastic carry bags and other single-use plastic items. The notification related to the ban was issued by the state government on announced on February 25 this year, but the ban was officially announced on July 1.

ACTS ON COMPLAINT

On November 10, the ULB authorities directed Municipal Corporation Faridabad (MCF) to submit an action-taken report after a complaint was filed by Avtar Krishan Gaur, head of Expert Committee on Plastic Waste Management.

In a communication addressed to the MCF Commissioner, issued on November 10, the office of ULB asked the authorities to look into the matter and submit the report at the earliest. The direction came in response to a complaint filed by Avtar Krishan Gaur, head of Expert Committee on Plastic Waste Management. The committee was constituted by the Commissioner for coordinating, monitoring and enforcing provisions of the ban imposition. Gaur claimed that lately, especially after Diwali, the activities that had been taken up to implement the provisions had come to a standstill. Not only issuing of challans has ceased, the authorities have also failed to constitute an adequate number of teams for ground-level work, he added.

Varun Sheokand, a social activist, alleged that restriction on the manufacturing, sale and use of plastic items had not been properly exercised by the authorities.

Admitting that there was a lack of coordination among various agencies and that progress was not reviewed at regular intervals, an MC official said a nodal officer’s full-time appointment was needed to carry out the work.

The notification read: “No person shall manufacture, stock, distribute, sell , use carry bags and articles such as plates, cups, tumblers, spoons, forks, straws made of virgin or recycled plastic (not less than 75 microns in thickness) in the state.”

As many as 24 district officials of various ranks are authorised to issue challans ranging from Rs 500 to Rs 25,000 against offenders. The work of implementation of the ban would be stepped up in accordance with the provisions, said a senior district official.