Complying with the National Green Tribunal (NGT) orders all the three municipal corporations in Delhi have penalised thousands of violators issuing challans for using plastic bags. levying, Rs 5,000 as "Environmental Compensation Fine" for violating the NGT directions, which puts an interim ban on use of plastic bags of thickness less than 50 microns in Delhi.
As per the NGT directions, anyone found in possession or use of such plastic shall be liable to pay Rs 5,000 as environmental compensation.
A total of 1,886 challans issued by all three MCDs against those using polythene bags and collected a huge Rs 3,520,000 as environmental compensation fine. Also, in a raid conducted in different markets, a total of 9,956.7 kg plastic bags were seized by all the three corporations till March this year.
According to the data presented by the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NMC), it reveals that a huge 7580.7 kg plastic have been seized from October 2017 to till March this year, in an operation conducted in all the six zones come under it. The highest amount of plastic seized from Rohini zone (1817 kg).
However, East Corporation also came down heavily against violators and seized 2298 kg plastic in the financial year 2017 till February this year. The east body also collected Rs 13, 95,000 as environmental compensation fine.
A senior East Delhi Municipal Corporation said that 694 challans were issued in Shahdara north and 454 challans issued in Shahdara south.
While, South Delhi Municipal Corporation has seized 78 kg, issued 115 challans and collected Rs 1,020,000 as fine.
Yogendra Singh Mann, Director Press and Information said that the action will be continue against those violating directions and stringent measures will be adopted to prevent such violations.
"The focus of the department has shifted to conduct checks in more such commercial areas. The number of challans issued, has increased several- folds comparatively in the last six months," he said.
He said in the financial year, 2017-18, 14588 challaned were issued till October for littering and imposed penalty of approximately Rs . 1.32 crore.
According to the experts, plastic is the major source of environmental pollution as it cannot decay naturally, creating lots of damages such as choking drains, water-bodies and adding to the load of the already-exhausted landfill sites.