Around 27,000kg plastic bags seized in last one yr

SINCE AUGUST 2017, CIVIC OFFICIALS HAD ISSUED 2,800 CHALLANS TO SHOPKEEPERS, FOUND TO BE USING PLASTIC BAGS THINNER THAN 50 MICRONS

DELHI: A year after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) banned plastic bags thinner than 50 microns, Delhi’s three civic corporations say they have seized nearly 27,000 kilos of plastic bags across the city.

The number of polythene bags seized would have crossed 30,000 kilos if the figures of other civic and government agencies are taken into account.

The shop owners and plastic traders’ association, however, said the ban will not be successful unless cheaper alternatives are made available. Also, plastic bags will continue to be in circulation as long as there is a demand.

Since August 2017, the civic officials had issued 2,800 challans to defaulting shopkeepers, found to be using plastic bags, which were thinner than 50 microns.

“We formed teams for each zone and they visit busy markets after regular intervals. The staff members carry implements to measure the thickness of plastic bags,” said ML Sharma, assistant commissioner, Shahdara south zone of the East Delhi Municipal Corporation.

“The drive would continue as the agencies are supposed to submit their action taken report to the Delhi government’s environment department after an interval of time,” said Sharma.

But traders say instead of just penalising shopkeepers, the civic agency should educate them as well as customers to not use banned plastic bags.

“We need to understand such drives will not be effective and violation will continue to happen unless alternatives of plastic bags are made available at a minimal cost. Otherwise, it would be unfair to expect a vegetable vendor to provide cloth or paper bags free of cost to the customers,” said Rajesh Mittal, member, plastic manufacturers association.