Joint Commissioner of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) (Solid Waste Management) Sarfaraz Khan has instructed all the zonal officials to ensure that the ban on single-use plastic is implemented. In the last one week, BBMP has carried out surprise inspections at plastic production units and the shops selling them in the city. In all the eight zones, teams consisting of zonal marshal supervisor, division marshal supervisor, assistant executive engineer and junior health inspector are carrying out raids. Penalties are being levied if shops are found to be violating the BBMP order. In a statement BBMP said, “Monday, in the Padmanabhanagar ward, two plastic-producing units were inspected. As much as 200 kg of single-use plastic were seized from the Agri enterprises unit in Subramanya Main Road in the Padmanabhanagar ward and a fine of Rs 6 lakh (old fine 5 lakh and now Rs 1 lakh) was collected through cheques. Single-use plastic was found in Grace Polymers near Gowdanapalya in the Padmanabhanagar ward and a fine of Rs 25,000 was collected through cheque. They were against producing single-use plastic.” A BBMP official stated that single-use plastic is completely banned in the city and hence the zonal officials have been instructed to take action if shops or production units are found to be violating the order. In 2016, there was a statewide ban on single use plastic. The Union Ministry of Environment had earlier urged the states to phase out single-use plastic in 2022.
