Plastic Ban – A dismal failure even after 7 months

Plastic bags being manufactured and sold in wholesale in Mulund! 

The ambitious ‘plastic ban’ that the Maharashtra government had imposed to seek relief from the plastic menace has proved a big flop! Even after 7 months, the plastic ban is a cruel joke on Mulundkars! In Mulund, the hawkers are fearlessly using plastic bags without any fear of the BMC officials! What is more shameful is that these hawkers are purchasing the plastic bags in wholesale from dealers in Mulund market itself!

According to sources, in Mulund, there a few manufacturers who are manufacturing thin plastic bags and these bags are available openly in Mulund market at the wholesale rate. Though the government has made a regulation about the thickness of manufacturing plastic bags, yet these plastic bag manufacturers are violating government norms.

Thus, the daring use and sale of plastic bags clearly prove that the government has failed to impose the plastic ban successfully! It may be noted that, in order to pressurize the shopkeepers and dealers using plastic bags, the government had even threatened to cancel those shops’ licenses found selling plastic bags! However, despite the threat, the shopkeepers, dealers and hawkers continue to use plastic bags, thus making the mockery of the plastic ban.

On Tuesday, civic inspectors inspecting plastic bags had penalized a hawker at J.N. Road and even collected a fine of Rs. 5000. After the penalty, a shock-wave spread in the market and hawkers did not use plastic bags for 2-3 days. Shyamlal, a hawker said, “Despite the ban, many hawkers use plastic bags in the morning.”

In the New Year, BMC T-Ward has penalized two hawkers and collected Rs. 10,000 fine and seized 1kg of plastic.
When Home Times spoke to people regarding the impact of the plastic ban, they said until the government succeeds in banning the manufacture of plastic bags there will be little chance of banning plastic bags.

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