Page 48 - Plastics News March 2022

IN THE NEWS

Madras HC Hears Petition Moved by Tamil Nadu and Puducherry Plastic Manu-
Facturers’ Association ing a review petition moved by Tamil complete ban on plastics means the
Nadu and Puducherry State should not only prevent produc-
Plastic Manufactur- tion in Tamil Nadu but also has to re-
ers’ Association.“The strain people from procuring them from
State shall select a par- other states. The government should in-
ticular area and put its troduce alternative materials for plastics,
focus on banning the it added. Responding to this, the gov-
plastic items. As a pi- ernment advocate submitted that it has
lot project, the State already introduced Manjappai (yellow
shall choose Chief cotton bag) as an alternative to plastic
Minister MK Stalin’s carry bags. The initiative has been receiv-
earing the Tamil Nadu and Pu- Kolathur constituen- ing good response from the people, the
Hducherry Plastic Manufactur- cy for implementing the government’s advocate added. The bench directed the
ers’ AssociationaA division bench of order banning plastic materials,” the government to implement the ban first
Madras High Court directed the State bench said. When the matter was taken in Kolathur, and sought report within
government to implement the complete up for hearing, the petitioners alleged three weeks and adjourned it to March
plastics ban as a pilot project in Chief that Tamil Nadu banned the produc- 24. Earlier In its bid to protect the envi-
Minister MK Stalin’s Kolathur constitu- tion of plastic materials in the State but ronment, the Greater Chennai Corpo-
ency. The bench comprising Justices A it has not prevented purchasing plastics ration has launched a campaign to make
Vaidhyanathan and PT Asha issued this from other states and using them in people avoid single-use plastics, and in-
direction to the government while hear- Tamil Nadu. The judges held that the stead, carry alternate bags for groceries.

PMC Collects Rs 1.6 Lakh Fine Over Single-Use Plastics

of the civic bodies that implemented it has been keeping a hawks eye on litter-
without any delay. However, due to a ing and had been strict over the imple-
lack of support from citizens, single-use mentation since 2018 the Panvel City
plastics are still used say officials. Accord- Municipal Corporation (PCMC) civic
ing to officials, the civic body is focusing chief has created a squad of sanitary in-
on environmental protection and keep- spectors to crack down on retailers, deal-
ing the city clean. Even the civic body ers and commercial establishments that
PMC had recently appointed an agency continue to use plastic bags. “Sanitary
to provide clean-up marshals across the inspectors have been asked to be vigilant
he Panvel Municipal Corporation city. The clean-up marshals ensure the in the area and take action against those
T(PMC) in just two months of the cleanliness of the city and collect fines flouting the rules. Those caught flouting
year 2022 have collected over Rs 1.6 from people littering the city. They also the rules once or twice will be fined and
lakh fine from people using single-use assist the civic body in taking action inspectors can file an FIR without giv-
plastics, which are banned in the state. against single-use plastics. “In the first ing any warning in advance if a person
The fine was collected during a drive two months of 2022, we have already is caught a third time” said an official.
conducted at various shops across the collected fines of Rs 1.6 lakhs and seized The PCMC also plans to promote usage
city. There is a ban on single-use plas- hundreds of kg banned plastic,” said an of cloth and paper bags through various
tic in the state and the civic body is one official from PMC. Since twoyears PMC awareness-training sessions.

48 PLASTICS NEWS March 2022