Municipal body seizes 100kg polythene from city vegetable market

The violators, they said, were let off with a warning that a repeat of this offence would lead them to be fined Rs 25,000.

The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) on Monday seized 100kg of polythene from a vegetable market in Khandsa village, a statement issued by the civic body stated.

The violators, they said, were let off with a warning that a repeat of this offence would lead them to be fined Rs 25,000. Image used for representational purpose only. ((Photo by Parwaz Khan/ Hindustan Times))

MCG officials said a squad led by assistant engineer Kuldeep Singh, accompanied by junior engineers and other employees, carried out the raid on polythene vendors.

The violators, they said, were let off with a warning that a repeat of this offence would lead them to be fined Rs 25,000.

“Constant work is being formulated in making the city polythene-free, under the Non-Biodegradable Waste Control Act, 1988. The MCG has appointed teams in each of the four zones under this act to monitor the usage of polythene. The biggest contributor to environment pollution is polyethylene, which is a major factor in sewers and drains being choked, leading to water-logging. In addition, officials are also carrying out campaigns and apprising residents of the harmful effects of polythene and advised to carry jute or cloth bags for carrying items,” Yashpal Yadav, commissioner of MCG, said.

The union ministry of environment and forests has sought to regulate the use, collection, segregation, transportation and disposal of plastic waste since the enforcement of the Plastic Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011. The MCG started operations on this ban from 2015 onwards.