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Environment Engineer Madhu S. Manohar says there will be at least three raids a week

The State Level Committee (SLC) constituted as per the National Green Tribunal (NGT) order to look after the implementation of Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 in Karnataka has directed the government agencies concerned to strictly implement the plastic ban notification in the State by resorting to penalising from September 1.

“...August 31, 2019 would be the deadline after which the manufacturers, distributors, retailers, users of plastic be strictly penalised as per the provisions,” a circular issued by the committee on August 27, 2019 said.

The jurisdiction of the ban covers schools, colleges, universities, commercial establishments, health care establishments, apartments, houses, street vending zones, shops, industries, government offices and quarters, court premises and quarters, marriage halls, airports, urban local bodies and the like.
The State government had constituted the committee on February 13, 2019 following the NGT order on January 16, 2019.

The State through a Gazette notification on March 11, 2016 had banned manufacturing and use of plastic carry bags, banners, buntings, flex, flags, plates, water pot, spoons, kling films dinning table sheets and items made up of thermacoal. Subsequently, the government through an order on July 11, 2017 banned their use in temples and other religious places and by issuing another order on September 5, 2018 banned their use in government meetings and functions. The SLC said that even after government orders there was no substantial enforcement of provisions of orders by the enforcing authorities all over the State. The urban local bodies have not enforced the provisions of plastic ban notification and the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016 notified by the Union government.

Madhu S. Manohar, Environment Engineer, Mangaluru City Corporation, told The Hindu that the corporation has constituted four teams for the implementation of the ban from next month. Each team would conduct at least three raids a week. Thus there would be 12 raids a week.

The corporation’s compost plant in Pachhanady received about 330 tons of garbage or solid waste daily. In that the plastic component constituted about 10.5 % with the quantity of recyclable plastic being only 0.5 %, he said.