MUMBAI, SEPT 16: Following the example of Navy Nagar, Colaba, use of plastic carry bags has been banned at the Naval Store Depot Officers' Quarters at Ghatkopar (East). The instruction for the 150-odd families residing there is terse: Polythene is not allowed inside. Please co-operate, reads the message displayed at the entrance of the residential area.Those who insist on using the carry bags are asked by the security guards to give them up. Not just this, the guards often retain the plastic bags and later deposit it in a dustbin where all such bags are stored and later disposed off. Even visitors to the colony are requested not to carry the bags inside.The residents started this campaign about two months ago when they realised that disposing plastic was getting very difficult. Plastic strewn around in the lush green colony was an eye sore and inspite of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation vehicles lifting the garbage regularly, plastic bags litter remained. The anti-plastic campaign has been anarduous one. First, the residents stopped the entry of the bags in the colony. Though majority of the people welcomed the idea, a few opposed the ban citing convenience. Says a resident, ``We were quite stern with such people. For instance, if they were carrying a loaf of bread in a plastic bag, we stopped it. Finally they came around and saw our point of view,'' he reveals.Once, this was done, the residents started the concept of segregating everyday garbage in three dustbins - one for dry garbage, one for bio-degradable and the third for plastic waste. While the bio-degradable waste is converted into manure by the process of vermiculture, the plastic waste, mostly milk bags is collected and later sold by the garbage collector appointed by the society.The result of the ban is almost spectacular. The problem of choking of drains due to plastic residue has been solved. Instead of every day these drains are now attended to by the BMC staff just once a week.One of the garbage cleaners in the society,Yadav, said that the plastic waste now generated is by and large restricted to polythene milk bags. The implementation of the vermiculture concept has also reduced the volume of garbage to be lifted by the BMC employees. Officer on special duty with the BMC S S Bhagwat says that concurrently the expense on lifting the garbage has been reduced.
