The district administration here has issued a stern warning to all wholesalers and retailers of polythene bags to comply with its order of keeping only standard bags of prescribed thickness or face tough action.
The administration has told the wholesalers and retailers to ensure that all plastic bags stocked, distributed or sold by them are properly labeled or the goods will be confiscated and the stockist, retailers would be liable for punishment if any ‘non labelled’ bags were found in their possession.
The State Government has already imposed a complete ban on the use and sale of polythene bags below 40 micron thickness for mitigating pollution being caused by indiscriminate use and dumping of polythene bags across the State.
According to the Dhamtari district administration officials, nobody can sell any polythene bags without having the name and address of the manufacturer printed on it.A workshop was held at the Zilla panchayat has already discussed the limit prescribed under the Plastic Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011.Addressing the wholesalers and retailers Scientist P K Rawade of Raipur provided them detailed information on ‘Plastic Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011.’
Rawade said people can use only white coloured carry bags which have BIS mark. He also told the gathering the meaning of ‘white coloured carry bags.’He also said the polythene bags which are more than 40 micron would now be available at fixed prices. The local administration will fix the rate and will inform the wholesalers and retailers.
It may be recalled that the Raipur Municipal Corporation (RMC) on June 24 had decided to launch a ‘special drive’ to check the use of sub standard polythene carry bags in the city.The decision was taken in a meeting chaired by RMC Commissioner, Avnish Kumar Sharan. The Commissioner had asked the officials concerned to ensure complete ban on production, storage, sale and uses of polythene carry bags having less than 40 Micron of thickness.
He had directed officials to team up with officials of the Chhattisgarh State Pollution Control Board for launching a special drive against the use of sub standard polythene carry bags in the city limits.He had also directed the RMC’s Flying Squad In-charge, Abhash Mishra and all the zone commissioners to keep a close vigil on production, storage, sale or use of sub standard polythene bags within the city limit.
The Commissioner also urged the citizens not to use sub standard polythene bags.Besides, he had asked the people not to throw garbage and plastic material in drainage lines, roads and in open areas and instead dump the same at the designated places.“Every day, tons of plastic bags are taken out from the drainage lines to maintain the flow of water. The people are requested not throw the waste anywhere and instead dump it into the dustbins placed across the city” Sharan appealed to the people.