Despite the High Court order, repeated reminders and some initiatives by the civic body on the use of polythene and disposable utensils, the banned items are still being used with impunity in the state. What has surprised many observers is the fact that such an important matter did not figure during the civic body’s first board meeting held a few days ago. Quizzed over its studied silence on the matter during the important meeting, the civic body officers said that they alone cannot stamp out the menace. “We require more help from various other departments to stop the use of the prohibited items,” said a civic body officer.
It is still very easy to spot the shopkeepers, vegetable vendors and customers using the banned polythene bags or polystyrene materials. Officials from MCD did try to slap fines on the traders or the people using the banned materials to minimize the use. However, the scene has not changed a bit in the city with the use of the banned materials going on in full swing.
Quizzed over the matter, a sanitation supervisor of MCD said, “We slap fines on the people found using the polythene bags in the market. We are also doing the same on the shopkeepers found using them. But our strength is not as much as required to take care of the whole city. Besides, we are facing threats from the shopkeepers or their associations on making them to cough up fines. Many times our operation incurred the wrath of the shopkeepers. Sometimes it came to such a pass that we had to seek help from police.’’
Chief municipal health officer Dr Kailash Joshi said, “We have tried our best to stop the use of polythene bags or polystyrene materials in the city. However, it is difficult for us to stop the thing all by ourselves. We have collected fines to the tune of Rs six lakh. But it does not seem to have made any significant difference on the ground. It is important that various departments which are connected to the matter like the police, trade and tax department, market associations and residence welfare committees must extend help to stop the use of the banned items. We can hardly do much when left to ourselves.”