Bidhannagar civic body collects Rs 10,000 for flouting plastic ban
Times of India | 8 February 2024
KOLKATA: Resuming its plastic bag ban drive from December last year, the Bidhannagar Municipal corporation's environment department has so far collected a fine of Rs 10,000 from offending shopkeepers and buyers for using the banned single use plastic carry bags measuring below 120 microns. After conducting its drive in the market areas of Baguiati and Narayanpur, the civic authorities are now to focus on the community markets across Salt Lake.
"Our men are visiting the market areas. The use of banned single use plastic has reduced to some extent. The drive will continue," said BMC MMIC (environment) Rahima Bibi Mondal.
Many of the shopkeepers said that they were facing difficulty to continue meeting up with the cost to buy the thick carry bags measuring over 120 microns.
"We were initially following the order but with increasing price of items and rise in cost of such bags, it was becoming difficult to maintain the ban order. Besides, most customers do not bring alternative bags with them and insist on giving items with such thin plastic carry bags," said a shopkeeper of a community market.
"Alternatives of plastic like jute or cloth bags are there. People have to refuse the use of plastic. The use of plastic is continuing to degrade the environment which needs to be stopped," said environment scientist Swati Nandy Chakraborty.
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