Plastic ban not a worry for mandals, BMC to go easy on offenders
MUMBAI: Giving leeway to Ganpati mandals, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided that it will not target individual homes and housing societies for use of plastic and thermocol but will instead keep an eye out for retailers using the banned items. Action will be taken against public Ganpati pandals using plastic or thermocol for decorative purposes only if a complaint is filed against them, the civic body said.
The decision has been arrived at after several rounds of meetings and negotiations with Ganeshotsav mandals.
Nidhi Choudhari, deputy municipal commissioner (DMC), who is in charge of implementing the plastic ban, said, “Just like earlier, we will not target citizens of even housing societies in search or banned products. In the case of public pandals,we will take action only if we get complaints from citizens.”
“However, we are taking action on retailers found to be supplying these banned decorative products.we have conducted regular meetings with the Brihanmumbai Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Samanvay Samiti (BSGSS) and we have written letters to various popular mandals regarding usage of banned products. Most of them have agreed to not use plastic and thermocol products, or even POP (plaster of paris), which is equally harmful to the environment,” said Choudhari.
Explaining why it would be not be advisable to target Ganpati pandals, a senior BMC official said, “The ban came into effect at the peak of monsoon, when plastic is most required. Then followed the festival season, when we cannot take any harsh actions as religious sentiments are involved.”
“Most of these products had already been stocked in the hope that the government would change its stand on the issue. However, that did not happen. Most vendors agree to pay the fine for once and then start selling the stock again. The ecofriendly options are also costlier than the banned products,” said the official.
Choudhari added, “We have taken regular action in Dadar and Mulund markets and seized banned materials, but now it is up to the people to willingly reject these materials and opt for eco-friendly options.”
The Ganesh festival will start from September 13 this year. The plastic ban was implemented in the state on June 23.
Till date, BMC has seized 17,657 kg of banned plastic and imposed fines totalling to ₹1.04 crore.
As of September 7 , BMC received 3,523 online applications for Ganpati pandals. Of these, 2,290 applications have been approved, 170 are in process and 290 have been rejected.