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Lax Thane scrambles to chalk out anti-plastic initiatives by Feb 20
State environment minister Aaditya Thackeray has directed all municipal corporations to ban single-use plastic by May, but Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) is still
State environment minister Aaditya Thackeray has directed all municipal corporations to ban single-use plastic by May, but Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) is still taking baby steps to implement the ban.
The corporation is in the process of chalking out an action plan which they have to submit to the state by February 20.
In 2018, the state government banned the use, manufacture, distribution and sale of plastic. As per rules, anybody found manufacturing, stocking or selling plastic goods would be charged ₹5,000 fine or more as fines.
Earlier this week, Thackeray told municipal corporations to strictly impose the ban and set a new target of May 1 to make the state free from single-use plastic.
TMC’s initiatives including distribution of paper and cloth bags, increasing plastic collection centres and roping in ragpickers and other stakeholders have failed to take off properly.
Omprakash Divate, deputy municipal commissioner, TMC, said, “Thackeray has given us certain guidelines based on which we will prepare an action plan. We had earlier planned to involve ragpickers to segregate waste so that plastic does not go to the dumping ground. This is now in the process of being implemented.”
From March 1, TMC will distribute cloth bags at the ward level. These bags will either be sold for a nominal price or given as incentives.
Divate said the proposed projects will be implemented before the deadline set by the minister.
“There are ward-level squads to keep an eye on plastic sale, manufacture, storage or usage. The squad consists of ward-level officers, and officials from the environment department and sanitary inspector,” he said.
Following the plastic ban in 2018, while awareness among residents has increased, plastic is still used in markets.
A hawker from Jambli Naka market said, “We can only afford plastic bags as we do not charge them for it. Over the past one year, many shoppers have started getting their own cloth bags and do not accept plastic.”
Coconut water and juice stalls continue to give plastic straws. “We cannot afford paper straws and it is a task to clean steel straws. It leaves us with the only option to continue using plastic straws,” said Murugan V, a hawker selling coconut water at Teen Haath Naka.
NGOs working to impose the ban said usage of polythene bags have gone down tremendously in the past two years.
Hetal Gala, founder, anti-plastic brigade, said, “As soon as the ban was implemented, there were many who shunned plastic. This did not continue for long as there was no stringent action by authorities. Bigger institutions such as hospitals, schools, colleges, restaurants and banquet halls, have implemented the ban but roadside hawkers, vendors and hotels continue to use plastic.”
Traders claimed that they have taken initiatives to impose the ban.
Kamlesh Hemani, member of Thane Shopkeepers Association, said, “We are trying not to use plastic and are creating awareness among other shopkeepers.”
The pollution control department had said it would provide plastic waste collection vehicles and bins but TMC has only three vehicles. These collect plastic once in every 15 days in Naupada, Majiwada and Vartak Nagar wards. There are five bottle crushers within Naupada area where residents can dispose used plastic bottles.
Manisha Pradhan, pollution control officer of TMC, said, “We have tied up with five NGOs to implement the plastic collection drive. They collect plastic waste from around 300 housing complexes every fortnight. There are 50 plastic waste processors in the city.”
Bhatu Sawant, president of Samarth Bharat Vyaspeth, said awareness is gradually increasing among residents.
“Awareness on waste segregation among students will be helpful. In future, segregation of waste will ensure zero landfill and plastic can also be recycled into poly fuel, an alternative fuel. But, efficient execution and implementation of the initiatives is essential,” he said.
Since the implementation of the plastic ban in June 2018, 22,000 kgs plastic waste have been seized and ₹12 lakh fines collected. “In the past two years, we have raided more than 5,000 shops,” added Pradhan.
Big residential complexes or commercial establishments which want to dispose of more than 10kgs of plastic can send a message to 8291735893. TMC will send a van to collect it. In the past one year, they have received an average of 15 calls a day.
