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It has been over a year since the state government banned plastic less than 40 microns thick. But who cares? Not shopkeepers, and certainly not customers.
The banned plastic is found across Ahmedabad - at shops and vegetable and fruit vendors. Most shopkeepers DNA spoke to used the same line that demand was fuelling supply.
“We
can’t help it. Customers keep demanding the carry bags which compel us to
keep them. Also, we can afford these low priced bags. The thick plastic
bags are environment-friendly, but they burn a hole in our pockets,” said a
fast-food joint owner at Prahladnagar, who did not wish to be named.
Another
grocery shop owner at Ambawadi Ashokbhai said, “The civic authorities have
raided my shop thrice and, each time, I had to pay a hefty fine and my
stock of plastic bags was seized. But such bags prove economical for us due
to which they are to be found in a majority of shops.” Over a year after
the notification banning the use of thin plastic bags came into effect in
February 2011, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) officials offer
several excuses to explain poor implementation.
“We
are finding it difficult to trace the manufacturers of these plastic bags.
If the root of the problem is removed, then such bags will not be
distributed. Unfortunately the bags are not branded, nor is the name or
place of business mentioned on them,” said an official in AMC’s health
department.
AMC’s
medical health officer Dr Suhas Kulkarni says they have conducted a series
of raids to crack down on the use of banned plastic. “Between February and
December 2011, we seized 22,540 kg of plastic below 40 microns, issued
4,616 notices and collected Rs6.56 lakh in fines. Also, a total of 47
shops, where such plastic was found in large quantities, were raided,” he
said.
Similarly,
between January and June 2012, a total of 3,666 kg of plastic bags below 40
microns was seized, 2,130 notices were served and Rs10.08 lakh in fines
collected by the health department.
Recently,
the health department conducted a raid at Kalupur and sealed seven shops
manufacturing the banned plastic bags.
Clearly,
all this is not enough as rampant use of the banned plastic continues. A
senior health official in the AMC says the banned plastic is rumoured to be
manufactured in large quantities in Kalol. Kalol is not in AMC jurisdiction
and, hence, the civic body’s hands are tied, the official says.
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