With the ban on polythene bag in the City Beautiful remaining “ineffective” and “unenforceable”, the UT Administration is now mulling over to notify Centre’s enacted Plastic Waste (management and Handling) Rules 2011 thereby putting an end to blanket ban on polythene bags in Chandigarh.
Under, Plastic Waste (management and Handling) Rules 2011, no person shall manufacture, stock, distribute or sell any carry bag made of virgin or recycled or compostable plastic, which is less than 40 microns in thickness.
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.
After failing to enforce the ban in last five years, the UT Administration is now likely to impose a partial ban on polythene usage, allowing the use of polythene bags of more than 40 microns in thickness in the city.
Further, to effectively implement the ban across the city, the UT Administration is deliberating to authorise more UT officials to conduct raids to check compliance of the ban. At present, the Sub divisional Magistrates (SDMs) are authorised to conduct the raids for the said purpose.
“The UT Administration is considering enacting Plastic Waste (management and Handling) Rules 2011 in Chandigarh instead of a blanket ban on polythene bags here. Under this, 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,” said Santosh Kumar, Director, UT Environment Department while talking to The Pioneer.
He said, “Also, UT is considering charging a nominal price for using the polythene bags of more than 40 microns. The polythene bags of more than 40 microns would be sold at a nominal cost.”
After receiving the study report on assessment of the effectiveness and impact of polythene ban in the city, the UT Administration is considering to implement a number of recommendations given in the report.
Santosh informed, “The Environment Department had got conducted a study by local environmental organisation “Environment Matters” on assessment of polythene bag in the city. Taking into account the recommendations given in the study report, the Administration is also looking at possibility to authorise more officials to conduct raids to check the compliance of the ban.”
Notably, the study conducted had stated that the ban on polythene bags in the Chandigarh is “ineffective”, “unenforceable” and needs “re-consideration”. The study also called for re-consideration of the blanket ban.
It 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.
The survey also 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 or hawkers. It had also pointed out that the UT Administration has no powers to impose fine on the violators.
For the effective implementation of the ban, the report had recommended that punishment must be commensurate according to extent of violation. And, there is a need of regular and extensive awareness for the strict enforcement of ban.
It also suggested that contact numbers and details of officials concerned should be displayed in schools, roads and subzi mandis so that citizens can register the complaints of violations.
In Chandigarh, those who breach the ban can face a prison term of up to five years and/or a fine of up to `1,00,000. Repeat offenders may face up to seven years imprisonment and/or an additional fine of `5,000 per day.