76 penalised in Chandigarh for using single-use plastic

MC Commissioner Anindita Mitra directed all the CSIs and SIs of the sanitation department to take strict action against the violators selling or using plastic bags and banned plastic items.

Mitra, said, “If every citizen keeps a shopping bag with them, plastic bags can be completely eliminated from market areas. The MC has also started a selfie with shopping bag/selfie with bottle (to reduce the use of plastic disposable water bottles) in which citizens have been asked to tag the MCC social media handles.” She said the MC has been taking several steps to curb the plastic menace.

The MC has recently launched Har Gadi Bin, Har Gadi Bag plan to sensitise citizens towards littering and ban on single use plastic.

The Commissioner said that recently, a series of events were held with MWAs in which a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh has been announced for the first MWA which becomes totally plastic free. She said that progressive MWAs like Sector 46 have started giving discounts to citizens who come with their own shopping bags. She said that the MCC has also set up a cloth bag outlet, manned by a SHG in the sabzi mandi of Sector 26, to promote use of cloth/ jute bags and discourage use of single use plastic.

She said dedicated joint task force of MCC and CPCC to check all places where hoarding of plastic is being done. In the past six months, nearly 800 challans have been issued.