Kerala - Kozhikode

Ban on plastic bag from today

Staff Reporter

Kozhikode: Strict enforcement of the ban on plastic carry bags below 30 microns in thickness within the limits of the city will begin on Monday.

Mayor M. Bhaskaran said 10 squads, comprising officials of the police, Department of Commercial Tax, Corporation and the State Pollution Control Board, would conduct raids and seize plastic bags from shops.

The Kozhikode Corporation bought a dozen thickness gauges to conduct random checks at the commercial establishments. Offenders would be charged under Section 15 and 19 of the Environment Act. The punishment for the offence is a five-year prison term or a penalty of Rs.1 lakh or both, he said.

Legal action would be initiated against the offenders by the Pollution Control Board (PCB) while the local body would impose a fine of Rs.250, he added. The ban is being enforced against the use of carry bags or containers made of the recycled plastics less than 30 microns for storing, carrying, dispensing or packing foodstuff.

The licences of the shops found guilty of selling or dispensing such carry bags for a second time would be annulled as per the Kerala Panchayat (Licensing of Dangerous and Offensive Trade and Factories) Rules, he said. Mr. Bhaskaran said that the Corporations planned to request the Government to increase the penalty.

As part of the Model Solid Waste Management Programme, the Corporation enforced a ban on plastic carry bags below the thickness of 20 microns in 2004. Two years later, the Corporation banned carry bags below the thickness of 30 microns. However, the ban was not enforced strictly following requests from shop owners.

The new directive is based on the order of the PCB which asked local bodies to strictly comply with the ban. The PCB banned the use of plastic carry bags below the thickness of 50 microns and issued a circular to this effect on December 16, 2006. However, the High Court of Kerala quashed the order on February 8, 2007.

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