The Hindu      06.04.2017

350 kg of banned plastic bags seized

Officers carrying out raids on use and sale of banned plastic bags in Kollam on Wednesday.  

Ten squads of Corporation, Suchitwa Mission

More than 350 kg of plastic bags of thickness less than 50 microns, which have been banned since April 1 in the district, were seized during raids carried out in the city on Wednesday.

The raids were part of the drive against the sale and use of banned plastic bags. Ten squads comprising officers from the Kollam City Corporation and the Suchitwa Mission conducted the raids with the help of the police.

District Suchitwa Mission coordinator G. Krishnakumar said that squads went to textile shops, malls, fish markets, fruit stalls, and vegetable shops and even roadside vendors. The bulk of the bags seized were those in the banned category. Seizures were also made from shops that had not registered with the City corporation to sell and distribute such plastic bags.

Registration

Prior to the ban, the district administration had informed that shop owners who wanted to sell plastic bags not covered by the ban should register with local body concerned by paying a fee of Rs. 4,000 a month.

The fee is as per the provisions of the Central government’s Plastic Waste Management Rules 2016 and a circular issued by the State government in this connection.

District Collector T. Mithra said that the raids would be intensified in the coming days all over the district since the government was very serious about the ban.

At the same time, it had been noticed that the ban was also gaining more and more acceptance among many customers and shopkeepers.