MPCB forms squads to enforce ban on plastics

MPCB member secretary P Anbalagan on Wednesday directed regional offices across the state to form the squads. “You are directed to take immediate action to constitute such a squad and start functioning immediately. The action taken report shall be submitted by fifth of each month. Regional officers should ensure the compliance of these directions from all local bodies,” stated the letter.

[related-post]

Unlike earlier, the squad will now involve officers from MPCB as well as those from local bodies, the police and the revenue department.

In the first phase, the squads will make surprise visits to authorised manufacturers to check whether they manufacture according to the norms. The squads will also be responsible for identifying unauthorised units manufacturing more than 50 microns, as per the norms, and those unauthorised manufacturing units producing banned items.

In the second phase, the squads will target malls and market places to penalise largescale users and recyclers of plastic bags less than 50 microns, officials said.

While MPCB had already issued notices to authorised units in the state in January to manufacture plastic bags above 40 microns according to the Centre’s norms, with the new ban enforced in the state, the manufactures will now have to manufacture plastic bags thicker than 50 microns.

On Monday, Environment Minister Ramdas Kadam had announced strict punishments to force compliance of the ban.

The penalty on sale and manufacture of bags not meeting the allowed specifications would be Rs 1-5 lakh and may entail imprisonment up to five years, according to a press release from the minister.

Back in 2010, while the civic body had recommended to the state environment department a penalty on citizens found using plastic carry bags below 50 microns and tried to enforce a ban in the city, its implementation was poor.

anjali.lukose@expressindia.com