Penalised for using plastic in the city

BANGALORE: It has been more than four months since the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) set up the deadline to implement the Plastic Waste (Management and Handling) Rules 2009. However, plastic usage still exists. As a result the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has decided to conduct drives and inspect  various shops and manufacturing units to stop and curb the plastic menace that is plaguing the city.The BBMP health officials from the West zone conducted a drive in Taragupet region in Gandhinagar area. Officials had seized 500 kilos of plastic during the drive. They imposed a penalty of `10,000 on plastic bags, `10,000 on Bhaskar plastics and `2,000 on Karnataka plastics. All the shops are located in Taragupet. In the East zone, the Palike officials shut shop at Ezekeil Industrial Estate, a manufacturing unit that was  manufacturing plastic. The plastic  produced by the unit was that of 40 micron.  The Palike had banned the use of plastic bags below 40 microns less than four months ago. According to the Palike release, the BBMP officials also visited and examined 700 odd shops and levied a penalty of `7,000.Speaking with City Express, the BBMP Medical Officer (West), Dr Devaki Umesh said that they have been conducting raids on plastic usage for the past two months. “So far, we have conducted eight raids and seized around 1,500 kilo plastic from godowns at Chickpet, Chamarajpet, Attipet, BVK Iyengar Road and APMC Yard Yeshwanthpur,’’ she said. The West zone has collected a sum of `1,70,000 penalty during these drives.It can be noted that, despite clear rules issued by the Ministry of Environment and Forests under the Plastic Waste Management Rules of 2011 that banned the usage of plastic carry bags below 40 microns, many plastic manufacturing units are still violating the rules. KSPCB even set a deadline to ban plastic which are below 40 microns  from March 15, 2011.  While the enforcement of the law will be handled by the KSPCB, the BBMP will be responsible for safe collection, segregation, transportation and disposal of plastic.