Vinod Mathew

Manufacturers' lobbies are convinced that such a ban is not going to work and will be watered down before it gets enacted. They are confident that the Government will `see reason' and there will be no need to move court.

Mumbai , Aug 25

IT has been only a day since the Maharashtra announced a ban on plastic bags. Coming as it did, covering all kinds of plastic bags, the ban has already stoked disquiet among various categories of users, as also the manufacturers.

And a number of them have started claiming the exclusivity clause, saying the rule is not meant to ban `their' kind of bags.

One of the sectors that will take a visible hit would be milk distribution, with Mumbai alone consuming 20 lakh litres a day in packed form - mostly in half litre pouches and the rest in one litre pouches.

Given that the Chief Minister, Mr Vilasrao Deshmukh, has indicated there will not be any thickness specification, the ban would target the milk pouches as well.

Mr R.S. Sodhi, Chief General Manager of the Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation that supplies Amul liquid milk in Mumbai, told Business Line that milk pouches at 55 microns thickness are made of virgin plastic granules and over 95 per cent recycled and hence should not be targeted.

"Practically, it is not possible to replace the present mode of milk distribution in cities like Mumbai with other systems of delivery.

"Replacing plastic pouches with glass bottles will throw the milk delivery mechanism out of gear and raise a lot of practical difficulties while tetrapacks would be prohibitively costly," he said.

History has proved that a micron-specific ban is difficult to implement as plastic carry bags that were below the 20-micron mark made a reappearance claiming 21 micron thickness following the 1998 ban imposed in Mumbai.

"A blanket ban of plastic bags is much better than a thickness-driven ban. There are a number of alternatives including the promotion of recycled waste paper and monetary deterrents on the use of plastics.

"Also, Mumbai will have to get its act together as far as effective solid waste management is concerned," said Dr K.S.M. Rao, Managing Director, Ramky Infrastructure Consulting Ltd and formerly Technical Director of Mumbai Waste Management Ltd.

However, most manufacturers' lobbies are convinced that such a ban is not going to work and will be watered down before it gets enacted.

They are confident that the government will `see reason' and there will be no need to move court.

"This is a hasty decision taken under pressure. Essential commodity supply chains such as milk supply in Mumbai will collapse if the ban is imposed.

"It will also create hurdles for other segments - edible oil, ghee, retail food and groceries. It is not going to work," said Mr Harpal Singh, President, All-India Plastic Manufacturers Association.

A similar view was expressed by Mr Mohan Gurunani, President, Federation of Associations of Maharashtra, the apex traders body in the State.

"Such a blanket ban is difficult to implement. It is not that traders are opposing the ban, but there has to be a viable alternative to plastic bags," he said.

True, not all plastic manufacturers are against the ban. When Mr Rahul Tilak, Proprieter, Vaibhav Plastics, says "Plastic bags should be banned," there is a reason.

His factory in Mumbai, with a monthly output of 100 tonnes, manufactures a variety of biodegradable plastic that has been approved by the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation.

Surely, he is betting that the ban will not affect his plastic.

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