Ban on single-use plastic: Mohali DC comes down heavily on civic body for issuing just 87 challans in 3 months

The municipal corporation has issued just 87 challans against those flouting the ban on such plastic items in the past three months while shopkeepers and manufacturers continue to sell the prohibited items amid minimal checking

Mohali deputy commissioner Amit Talwar has come down heavily on the local civic body for its ‘inefficient’ measures to curb the utilisation of single-use plastic items across the city.

Mohali deputy commissioner Amit Talwar has come down heavily on the local civic body for its ‘inefficient’ measures to curb the utilisation of single-use plastic items across the city. (HT file photo for representational purpose)

The municipal corporation has issued just 87 challans against those flouting the ban on such plastic items in the past three months while shopkeepers and manufacturers continue to sell the prohibited items amid minimal checking.

DC Talwar had in June constituted teams to inspect commercial establishments and industries manufacturing, importing, stocking, distributing, selling and using banned single-use plastic items.

In a recent review meeting, the DC set a monthly target of issuing at least 500 challans in Mohali and directed the councils of Zirakpur, Derabassi and Lalru to nab the violators in a bid to curb the plastic menace.

“We are aiming to achieve absolute success in implementing the ban in Mohali. That’s why I have asked the MC officials to expedite the drive and challan the violators. We are committed to saving the environment and won’t tolerate any nuisance regarding the same.”

A senior official, who didn’t wish to be named, said, “The DC snubbed MC officials for not performing their duty sincerely. He said if an inspection team works rigorously, it can penalise around 100 violators in a day as compared to mere 87 in three months.”

While municipal commissioner Navjot Kaur’s comments on the issue were not available, a senior MC official attributed the minimal issuance of challans to lack of sanitary inspectors.

“We have seven sanitary inspectors, who are tasked with conducting anti-dengue drives, keeping a check on plastic usage besides performing election duties of booth-level officers. We are still making efforts to manage with the available resources. Rather than penalising the poor sellers or users, strict action should be taken against the manufacturers who are running big factories in Kurali and Mohali,” the officer, who is not authorised to speak with media, said.

Meanwhile, DC Talwar has directed the officials concerned to hold activities to spread awareness on single-use plastic ban and rope in NGOs, schools and colleges for the purpose.

All stakeholders, who are members of the district environment committee, have also been asked to make their offices free of single-use plastic items.

The ministry of environment, forest and climate change had prohibited manufacturing, importing, stocking, distributing, selling and using single-use plastic, including polystyrene and expanded polystyrene, commodities with effect from July 1, 2022.

The ban was imposed on 19 plastic items, including ear buds, balloon sticks, flags, candy sticks, ice-cream sticks, polystyrene (thermocol) for decoration, plates, cups, glasses, cutlery, invitation cards, and cigarette packets besides others.