Bhubaneswar : Even though the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has banned the use of plastics, 80 kg polythene carry bags were seized from several market places in the city during a three-day drive.
Eight squads comprising 10 members each visited Master Canteen, parts of Nayapalli, Badagada Brit Colony and Janpath.
“Making the users and providers aware of restricted use of plastic and to accentuate on ban of plastic carry bags we have carried these drives. The drive is not a seasonal one and objective of it is to bring a behavioural change among the vendors as well as citizens not limiting it to squad duty only,” said BMC commissioner Samartha Verma.
The government of India in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change made the Plastic Management Rules in 2016 restricting use of certain plastic carry bags, containers and its management. The state government had also restricted use of particular plastics in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Rourkela, Sambalpur and Berhampur in 2018.
Despite this, the usage of banned plastic has been rampant and shopkeepers are giving goods in harmful polythene packets. Responding to this Deputy Commisioner Prabir Khailar said, “Enforcement is required for insensitive vendors who are selling and promoting plastic carry bags. We have accelerated the drives. Squads are reporting to concerned zonal deputy commissioners and ultimately to deputy commissioner.”
Meanwhile, no fine has been reported to be collected during the drives made by the squads.
