Now, littering public places with plastic and thermocol to invite more fine

LUCKNOW: Disposing of plastic and thermocol products at public places will now invite a fine of up to ₹25,000 for hoteliers and restaurant owners and up to ₹1,000 for the general public.

Earlier, the maximum amount of penalty was ₹500 for everyone.

“We have decided to increase the penalty amount to up to ₹25,000 for hoteliers and restaurant owners found disposing of polythene waste in the open. For the public throwing polythene waste in open, the amount of fine will be up to ₹1,000,” said Kaushal Raj Sharma, district magistrate.

The action would be taken under Environmental Protection Act, said the DM.

“In the recent anti-polythene drives, our team succeeded in minimising the use of polythene by 60-70%.

Now it’s time to impose a complete ban,” he said while addressing a meeting with nagar nigam, pollution control department and other administrative

officials.

The drive to put a final check on the use of polythene bags and thermocol products would start from September 23, he added.

The move was an outcome of the state government’s order banning use of polythene bags less than 50 microns, from July 15, 2018 onwards.

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath had first announced the ban on polythene while inaugurating

urban training research centre at local bodies’ directorate on Sultanpur road on July 2.

On July 6, the CM Office tweeted that polythene and its byproducts would be banned from July 15 and people were requested to participate in the drive.

The district magistrate had directed the pollution control board and other departments to initiate legal action against

polybag manufacturing units and its users.

After this, the district administration also launched whatsapp helpline numbers—6389300137, 6389300138, 6389300139 to combat polythene menace.

Sharma said in the drive launched in July, nagar nigam seized 950 kg of polythene and recovered fines of Rs 2,50,000 from erring polythene users.