Total ban on plastic bags in Maharashtra soon

Total ban on plastic bags in Maharashtra soon

Mumbai: The Environment Ministry has decided to ban all types of plastic bags from Gudi Padwa in the State and the initiative will begin from the Mantralaya itself. 

Environment Minister Ramdas Kadam announced the ban after holding a meeting with officials from the municipal corporations from the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) and Maharashtra Pollution Control Board(MPCB), district collectors from the region and divisional collectors in Mantralaya on Thursday. 

Kadam said there will be 100 per cent ban on all types of plastic bags including plastic wrappers, sachets, plastic cups and glasses. The ban will be extended to thermocol vessels like dishes and cups. 

An alternative to plastic bags would be decided soon, but before that, there will be awareness drive run by the local bodies with the help of MPCB. The local bodies will create awareness among citizens that they have to use cloth bags as an alternative to plastic bags. 

The government will procure the cloth bags from the women self-help groups. They can stitch cloth bags and present them as an alternative to plastic bags. 

Kadam said, “We have invited proposals from various organisations to suggest alternatives to plastic bags. There is also a proposal of giving a subsidy to women self-help groups and getting them to supply cloth bags.” 

The ban will be imposed in a phased manner in the State. In future, more alternatives will be explored. 

"Companies will also be asked to participate in the movement through their corporate social responsibility (CSR) to fund the cloth bags. The malls will be asked to use cloth bags instead of the plastic bag," said an official from the Environment Department. 

In the second phase there will be a ban on the milk pouches and there will milk supply in glass bottles. 

In the third phase, there will be a ban on plastic pet bottles used as a container of cold drinks. Before banning the pet bottles, the cold drink producer companies will be asked to find an alternative," the officer said. 
The issue of plastic waste was in the news during the recent floods in Mumbai. Several fact-finding reports on the July 26, 2005, deluge blamed plastic bags for blocking storm-water drains in the city. 

After the deluge in 2005, the State government headed by then chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh decided to ban plastic bags. After the cabinet passed the proposal, the plastic industry approached the Congress high command and the government then banned only plastic bags below 50 microns.

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