Panvel civic body to keep hawk’s eye on plastic usage after blanket ban

PCMC is set to establish a centre to dispose of all types of plastic once the ban goes into effect and is expecting positive responses from residents

Three days ahead of the enforcement of the plastic ban by the state government, the Panvel City Municipal Corporation (PCMC) civic chief has created a squad of sanitary inspectors to crack down on retailers, dealers and commercial establishments that continue to use plastic bags. The PCMC also plans to promote usage of cloth and paper bags through various awareness-training sessions.

Since the last one and half month, the PCMC has been active against those flouting the plastic rules, but now that ban is going into effect on June 23, officials have been asked to be more vigilant. (Bachchan Kumar)

“Sanitary inspectors have been asked to be vigilant in the area and take action against those flouting the rules. Those caught flouting the rules once or twice will be fined and inspectors can file an FIR without giving any warning in advance if a person is caught a third time,” said PCMC civic chief Ganesh Deshmukh. The civic body is authorised to levy a heavy penalty of ₹5,000 for first-time offenders.

“Cloth and paper bags are the alternative options, and we have been promoting the same through training sessions. Mahila Bachat gat (women’s self-help groups) have been pulled in to make them and encourage others to use the same instead of plastic bags,” he said.

Since the last one and half month, the PCMC has been active against those flouting the plastic rules, but now that ban is going into effect on June 23, officials have been asked to be more vigilant.

Other than encouraging the use of cloth and paper bags, PCMC is set to establish a centre to dispose of all types of plastic once the ban goes into effect and is expecting positive responses from residents.

Vidisha Jain, 34, a resident of Kharghar, Sector 12 said, “All four members of my family use either cloth or paper bags, and are also looking for other alternatives to replace plastic. We have even replaced the plastic bottles in the fridge with glass bottles.”

Ramachandra Iyer, 49, a resident of Vashi, Sector 9 commends the PCMC for taking strong action against traders, dealers, and residents. “The plastic menace has been overwhelming and I hope that the ban will give much-needed relief and reduce the plastic pollution to an extent,” he said.

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Blanket ban on plastic just days away

Starting from March 23, the state has put an effective ban on all plastic products and the manufacture, usage, sale, transport, distribution, and storage of plastic in the state. Import of plastic bags and disposable products made out of plastic and thermocol (polystyrene) have also been banned. The government has given a two-month grace period to implement the blanket ban. The industry can take this time to come up with alternatives.

List of banned items

Products manufactured from plastic and thermocol such as disposable dishes or bowls, cups, plates, glasses, forks, spoons, containers, straws, non-woven polypropene bags, pouches – all of which are commonly used for packaging food items, will no longer be permitted in the state

Plastic items to be allowed

Plastic used for packing medicines

Compostable plastic bags used in nurseries for plants, agriculture, solid waste plastic bags for export purposes only

Plastic used in wrapping the material at manufacturing stage to preserve an integral part

Food-grade plastic bags not less than 50-micron thickness used for packaging items like milk