Page 28 - Plastics News June 2018

FeAtures

Fishmongers in the market are left flailing without any the chicken, damaging it. It is also more expensive than
alternative in sight. “Some customers are coming with plastic, adding to our expenses.Our business has dropped
plastic bags but most expect us to provide them. If there by 40 percent after the ban,” said Mohamed Gaus, a
are no bags they simply do not buy the fish. These are chicken seller in Amboli.
perishable goods and if nobody buys them we are the one Industry concerns
bearing the losses,” said Noor Shaikh, a fishmonger in the
Four Bungalows market. Commercial bodies, including the All India Plastic
Manufacturers Association, the Maharashtra Chamber
Similar uncertainty looms over meat traders as well. of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) and the Clothing
Robert Perera, a chicken seller in Juhu, said, “Customers Manufacturers Association of India, say the ban would
are currently coming to the shop with plastic and we are have an adverse impact on the Rs 50,000-crore industry,
making do with our existing stock. But after a month I besides affecting the ancillary units.MCCI’s vice
am not sure how we can carry on. Paper bags are not an president Lalit Gandhi said the ban on plastic bags has
alternative for us. Before banning it they should have derailed the production, packaging and supply schedules
thought of alternatives for businesses like ours.”
of the grains, bakery and clothing industries. “Many units
Sumi Raote, a customer at Perera’s shop, said, “We also are on the verge of closure in the absence of the basic
can carry plastic bags to the meat shop only until our packaging material – the plastic bags – and we fear that
stock lasts at home. Bags used for meat or fish purchase nearly three lakh people employed there may become
are not reusable and they have to be disposed after one jobless,” he said.
use.” The home delivery business for these traders is also App for the plastic ban
badly affected.
With an aim to answering queries related to the plastic
“We are currently delivering chicken in double or triple ban, Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) has now
paper wrapping. But it is next to impossible as we have launched an app ‘Plastic Bandi’. This app is available in
to deliver to several houses and the paper gets stuck to
Android and will be launched on iOS.

Things to remember

Penalty for violation of ban offenders. The officials will be spread across all the 24
wards in the city and will have uniforms licensed by the
Fine for violating the ban will be Rs 5,000 for the corporation. The corporation has released a list of 200
first offence, Rs 10,000 for the second and Rs 25,000 for officials assigned by the BMC and their contact details.
the third offence or a three-month jail term or both.
Manufacturers, on the other hand, stand to lose their license. The move is to enable the plastic ban which will be
enforced from June 23 after which the civic body will
Panel rejects BMC demand to slash plastic ban fine
start taking punitive action.
The law panel of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Three of the civic body will be responsible for the
Corporation (BMC) has rejected the civic body’s demand implantation the plastic ban,
to reduce the minimum fine proposed for violating
plastic ban from Rs 5000 to Rs 200. 1. The Markets department which will inspect 200 BMC
markets.
“Fine for 1st offence Rs 5000. Fine for 2nd Offence
Rs 10000. Fine for subsequent offence Rs 25000 and 2. The shops and establishments-department which
3 months imprisonment. For non-compliance with will keep an eye on shops.
provisions of Maharashtra Non-biodegradable Garbage 3. The license department will keep eye on street
Control Act 2006 offence can be registered in COURT,” hawkers and vendors.
Deputy Municipal Commissioner Nidhi Choudhari tweeted.
Retail shop owners claim that they have been exempted
200 officers to keep an eye on plastic ban offenders
from the ban
BMC has assigned as many as 200 officials across the
city licensed to take action against the plastic ban

Plastics News June 2018 28