Ahead of the proposed plastic ban in the state, Orissa POST takes a sneak peek at the implementation levels of earlier rules, court orders on the ground relating to plastic ban and plastic garbage disposal.
Reports by Manish Kumar.
Bhubaneswar: Odisha produces around 27,859 tonnes of plastic waste per annum, according to a random survey conducted by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in 2015-16 across the country. It arrived at the figure after collecting data from a few select cities in the state.
However, the State Pollution Control Board admits that the board and the state government are totally clueless over the magnitude of plastic waste produced in the state every year. This comes at a time when the state is planning a blanket ban on use of plastic, thanks to the laxity of urban local bodies in doing their job effectively as per the roles specified under the Plastic Waste Management norms.
The Union government, while doing away with the earlier norms of 2011, had in 2016 notified the Plastic Waste Management Rules under which it banned the sale of unbranded plastics by vendors and shopkeepers without registering with the local municipal bodies where the sellers had to pay user fees if they continued to use plastic. However, two years down the line, most of the rules are blatantly flouted in the state.
The rules mandate that the urban local bodies are entrusted with the task of collecting, segregating, processing and recycling the plastic waste. The producers of plastic also have the responsibility of collecting their brand plastic from the outlets/retailers and ensure organised processing and recycling. But all such norms which could ensure a ban on unauthorised use of plastic look like a Utopian dream for Odisha due to the lax attitude of municipal bodies.
“Most of the tasks like collection, recycling and even apprising the state about the quantum of plastic waste lie with the urban local bodies. But we are not getting data from them on total plastic waste although we have repeatedly written to them,” an official of the Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) told Orissa POST requesting anonymity.
His concerns are also ratified by the CPCB which in its last report on plastic ban while talking about Odisha had said, “There is complete ban on use of plastic carry bags in 13 ULBs (urban local bodies). Out of 111 ULBs only 57 ULBs have submitted annual report on implementation of PWM Rules, 2016.”
“There is serious lack of interest in the authorities. Public hoardings on plastic ban, plastic free zones, not convening the meetings of the Advisory Committee on the issue regularly and not adhering to the norms of plastic waste management besides lack of stringent clamping down on the errant are reasons for the spreading menace,” NGT lawyer Sankar Prasad Pani told Orissa POST.
WHAT THE PLASTIC WASTE NORMS SAY
- ULBs to ensure segregation, collection, storage, transportation, processing and disposal of plastic waste.
- Waste generators to ensure segregated storage of waste at source and hand over segregated waste to urban local body or gram panchayat.
- Primary responsibility for collection of used multi-layered plastic sachet or pouches or packaging is of producers, importers and brand owners who introduce the products in the market.
- Each plastic carry bag to carry name of the producer, its thickness and registration number.
- Retailers or street vendors shall not sell or provide commodities to consumer in carry bags or plastic sheet or multilayered packaging, which are not manufactured and labelled or marked.
- The shopkeepers and street vendors willing to provide plastic carry bags for dispensing any commodity shall register with local body and pay the user fees.
MOCKERY AT GUPTESWAR
The temple area remains a dumping ground for plastic two years after NGT ordered to keep it free of the menace
Bhubaneswar: Visitors and tourists who flock the famous Gupteswar temple and cave in Koraput district throw loads of plastic around although the area comes under the plastic-free zone.
In 2016, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) after hearing petitions about the plastic menace threatening the ecology and tourist potential of the famous spot, had ordered the authorities to look into the matter and comply with the Plastic Waste Management Rules 2011 and also file a compliance report within three months. It had also ordered a ban on use of plastic.
The NGT, in its order, had said, “We direct the State Pollution Control Board, Odisha …for the protection of environment and for the prevention and control of pollution in the state, to take immediate steps in accordance with law, to prohibit the use, sale and processing of the plastic carry bags in the area covering three kilometre radius of Gupteswar cave temple in Koraput district.”
However, two years down the line, post NGT order, not much seems to have changed. The site near the cave temple is still a dumping ground for many pilgrims and visitors. The issue becomes serious during festival seasons like Sravan month and other auspicious times.
“Plastic materials are still dumped in the restricted areas under the nose of the authorities concerned. During festive seasons like Sravan, plastic vessels, pouches, glasses, food packets chucked over by kanwarias visiting the site add to the mess. There is hardly much change post NGT order even during non-festive seasons,” Bidyut Mohanty, petitioner in the case to the green tribunal, said.
The NGT in its order had said that the state government should constitute a state level advisory committee for effective monitoring of implementation of the plastic waste management rules. However, experts complain that the panel hardly meets regularly to decide on ways to tackle the plastic menace and act stringently.
RECYCLING WOES
Bhubaneswar: Several plastic waste recycling units in the state are facing a hard time in getting organised supply of the discarded material which could be made reusable.
Om Prakash Samantray, a proprietor of Samant Plastic Recycle at Balasore, gets about 200 kg to 500 kg of plastic waste every day from private players for recycling. Most of the reusable plastic comes from garbage collectors and godowns nearby stocking such waste.
“Most of the plastic waste we acquire is from the private bodies. We grind and crush it into pieces and send it to plastic producers. They later reuse it according to requirements of plastic goods manufacturers,” said Om Prakash.
Others believe lack of an organised system of plastic waste collection, segregation and sending it for recycling are adding to the issue.
“The whole chain is highly disorganised. There are problems of segregating plastic waste at source, then sending it for recycling. If the municipal bodies can take up the task of segregating plastic waste seriously and send it to us, more plastic could be re-used,” said another recycler requesting anonymity.
An official from the State Pollution Control Board said that if the urban local bodies take the plastic management seriously and work towards recycling, more units can come up in the state. Since there is no attempt or effort for organised collection of plastic waste, not many recycling units are coming up. If the process is streamlined, then the amount of plastic waste can be minimised.
‘Plastic-free’ Sonepur still slave to the evil
Bhubaneswar: It was in 2015 that an activist moved the Eastern Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) seeking its intervention in ensuring adherence to the rules and regulations relating to the ban on plastic use in Sonepur town which was evading the established rules. Plastic use was also rampant.
While admitting the plea, the NGT had asked the civic body to abide by the rules. Following the norms and directions from the NGT, the Sonepur Municipality declared the city plastic-free zone and issued notifications accordingly.
However, despite the notification and notwithstanding the Plastic Waste Management Rules 2017 which entrust the responsibility of handling, segregating and recycling plastic waste with the municipality, sale of plastic and its use continue unabated in the city.
Local shopkeepers giving out plastic carry bags for the purchased goods and sale and use of plastic continues under the very nose of the municipal body which is supposed to abide by the 2016 rules and the NGT order and their own certification of a plastic-free city.
“There is a lack of seriousness on the part of the local authorities. There is a lack of official accountability due to involvement of multiple departments. Despite the 2016 rules talking about banning plastic distribution and sales and clear cut norms, most of them are blatantly flouted,” said Panda.
He also said that unless the local authorities strictly ban the use, producers and consumers would not look for alternatives and the menace would continue.
BMC to rework contracts for better recycling
Bhubaneswar: The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) believes that the proposed ban on the use of plastic from October 2 in parts of the state could help in fighting against the plastic menace in the state.
Notwithstanding the Plastic Waste Management Rules 2016 which talked in detail about management of plastic waste, its restriction from unauthorised distribution besides fixing responsibilities, the new rules the state government had been mulling to impose plastic ban in the state are likely to deal with different aspects of the plastic waste management where some rules are expected to be tweaked for a better management.
The new norms now talk about segregation at the source and composting at household levels and only the non-recyclable wastes should be send for disposal. The contracts with the waste collectors did not have the element earlier. The municipal body believes the contractors would now assist them in processing the wastes at source itself and the garden wastes would be taken for compositing.
“We have issued notices in this regard and the contracts would now be reworked. Earlier all wastes were taken from the source together which would be done away with now. We are soon coming with a tender for a biogas plant which can dispose of 40 tonnes of waste per day,” said Krishan Kumar, Commissioner, BMC.
Kumar also added, “The 2016 Plastic Waste Management Rules were more about plastic management not about plastic ban. The state government order which will come soon on the issue will be more focused and stringent on banning the use of plastic and will certainly help in fighting against plastic menace in the state.”
The BMC Mayor, meanwhile, said modalities relating to the ban are now under consideration. “After October 2 plastic ban rules will be in place. We are now planning to start awareness campaign among public. We will also visit market areas and will talk to the shopkeepers relating to the proposed ban. Post awareness the proposed ban will be imposed. Modalities of the ban will be sorted out soon,” BMC Mayor Ananta Narayan Jena said.