If banned plastic carrybags are back with a bang, the state government, too, is ready to combat the menace with a second round of drive.
The state environment department is now issuing fresh notices to police and all municipalities in the state reminding them of the ban on plastics, their role in implementing the ban, to start a fresh drive all over again from next month, and to take stern action against those who flout it. A senior official of the state environment department said the notices would be sent to the police and municipalities by Tuesday.
Officials of West Bengal Pollution Control Board and the state environment department said they have been frustrated for the past few months about the fact that very little initiative was taken by police and most municipalities to implement the ban.
"Without co-operation from the other sectors, it was very difficult to implement the ban successfully," an official said. In many cases, shop owners were up in arms against the officials during the raids, claiming they were not aware of the new ban.
That is why, despite the initial success, banned plastic carrybags have flooded the market all over again.
The ban was implemented on June 5 on plastic bags less than 40 microns or those smaller than 12 inch by 16 inch. The fine can go up to Rs 1 lakh and/or imprisonment up to five years. There is also a complete ban on use of plastic 50 metres from the River Ganga, at 49 heritage sites, coastal areas, Sunderbans and the hills.
From: TOI, Nov-26-2007
