Kolkata: Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation to fine users of banned plastic bags

KOLKATA: Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation (BMC) will start slapping Rs 500 fine on shops that sell goods in banned plastic bags of thickness less than 75 microns. Customers accepting such bags will also have to cough up Rs 50, if caught. The civic body will start imposing fines from July 1.
Although, BMC have been conducting awareness campaigns at markets over the last two months, they did not get the desired impact.“Both shopkeepers and buyers are using the banned plastic bags. We have been continuously urging them to stop using the bags. From next month, we will start imposing fines,” said a BMC official.
According to environmentalists and residents, the civic authorities have to take stronger action to successfully implement the ban. “Barely requesting shopkeepers and people to not use banned plastic bags will not help. Habitual offenders need to be penalised,”said Bidhannagar welfare association secretary Sarat Mullick.
“Manufacturing of such plastic has to be stopped at its source along with preventing its storage, transportation and usage. Also, there is a need to come up with cost effective alternatives to replace such plastic bags. Without these, only banning the use of plastic will be a futile exercise,” said green activist Subhas Dutta.
“At the GD Block market in Salt Lake, most of the shopkeepers have started selling their products in thicker plastic bags above 75 microns,”said Tamal Pal, a resident of Salt Lake’s HB Block. “Councillors have started taking up the drive in their wards. We are distributing jute bags and urging people to use them while shopping,” BMC MMiC (environment) Rahima Bibi Mondal said. BMC also organised a rally in ward No. 2 area on Saturday