Ban on plastic is welcome

But awareness-building is needed

There are no simple solutions to complicated problems, as the teething troubles of the ban on plastic in Maharashtra show. The state government’s initial zeal to implement the ban was understandable, given the dire circumstances caused by plastic pollution: the World Economic Forum has predicted that there will be more plastic than fish in the oceans by 2050. The deterrents put in place reflected the government’s sense of urgency: in March, it banned the use of all plastic products, and has now started penalising offenders. But the fact that the ban had to be relaxed temporarily shows that a hasty, castigatory approach may not be the best way to implement welfare measures. As such, while an active implementation of laws in India is welcome, it must be accompanied by sensitisation and awareness measures directed both at law enforcement agencies and citizens.

In Mumbai, particularly — a city with a poor immigrant population vulnerable to bearing the brunt of penalisation — the absence of infrastructure for proper implementation must be addressed. The rehabilitation of the three lakh people projected to lose their jobs as a result of the ban will also be a cause of concern. The solutions to such problems can be elusive; the Maharashtra government would do well to take the time to look for them.

The Telegraph, June 29