Maharashtra ban on plastic carry bags comes into force

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation had been making concerted efforts to impose the ban since 2010.

By: Express News Service
Mumbai | February 24, 2015 02:46 AM IST

1 min read

The ban on plastic carry bags less than 50 microns in thickness came into effect Monday in Maharashtra and the state Environment Minister Ramdas Kadam announced strict punishments to force compliance. 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 5 years, according to a press release from the minister.

Officials from the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) said the ban was effective earlier but implementation was poor. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation had been making concerted efforts to impose the ban since 2010.

The ban comes a day after Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said the ministry would launch public campaigns against plastic bags, which are non-biodegradable. Javadekar speaking at the launch of an e-book had also talked about turning degraded lands into urban greens, and restoring lakes and rivers.

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