After more than five years of imposing complete ban on the use of polythene bags in the City Beautiful, the UT Administration is likely to provide some relaxations and ease the ban on polythene bags.
The UT Administration has been mulling to charge a nominal fee from consumers for using the polythene bags of more than 40 microns in the city.
After receiving the study report on assessment of the effectiveness and impact of polythene ban in the city, the UT Administration is also considering enacting Centre’s Plastic Waste (Management and Handling) Rules 2011 in Chandigarh instead of a blanket ban on polythene bags here. Under Centre’s, manufacture, stock, distribute or sell any carry bag made of virgin or recycled or compostable plastic, of more than 40 microns in thickness will be allowed.
The UT Administration is in talks with the manufacturers who supply polythene bags of more than 40 microns to neighboring states.
While talking to The Pioneer, Santosh Kumar, Director, UT Environment Department said the department was considering the recommendations in the report. To enforce the ban on polythene bags effectively, we are considering to provide some relaxations.
He said, “So far, the ban on polythene bag in the city has remained ineffective and is being flouted by the residents.”
“The proposal to charge a nominal price for using the polythene bags of more than 40 microns here is being looked into. And, we are in talks with the manufacturers who can supply polythene bags of more than 40 microns in the city,” he added.
The Administration has also decided to tighten the noose on manufacturers who are flouting the ban and supplying polythene bags of less than 20 or 40 microns in the city.
Notably, the survey had revealed that the key concern in Chandigarh is manufacturing of plastic carry bags of fine microns (less than 20 or 40 microns) which are of very low cost and thus are extensively used by vendors hawkers. The higher authorities have made no effort in past five years to identify such manufacturing centres, pointed out the study.
The UT Administration is treading cautiously on the issue of introducing relaxations in the ban as the city’s environmentalists have remained skeptical of Administration’s latest move.
A UT official said various NGOs and environmentalists have approached them demanding that the relaxations should not be given as the 40-micron rule could also be flouted in the city.
A blanket ban on polythene and plastic bags was enforced in the year 2008 (on October 2) in the union territory of Chandigarh under Section 5 of Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 (29 of 1986). The blanket ban on manufacture and use of polythene and plastic bags here was aimed at ensuring sustainable improvement in the environment.
The Environment Department had got conducted a study by local environmental organisation “Environment Matters” on assessment of polythene bag in the city. The study stated, “Continuation of polythene ban in Chandigarh needs a re-think due to enactment of Plastic Waste (Management and Handling) Rules 2011 in the country.”
The study had further stated that the issue of conflict in case of Plastic Waste (management and Handling) Rules 2011 needs to be sort out in the city as with its implementation, there is no need of complete ban on plastic in Chandigarh.