The city corporation has also planned to penalise the violators of the
rule. If wholesale trading of the banned plastic products were found, a
sum of Rs 500 would be levied as penalty besides seizure, while the
penalty would be Rs 200 for retailers and Rs 100 for users. Trade
outlets should stop delivering the goods in plastic bags of less than 40
micron thickness.

In a bid to discourage use of plastic bags
the corporation has also increased the cost of the bags. Henceforth,
small plastic bags would cost Re one, while medium and big bags would
cost Rs2 and Rs 4 respectively. All these days, many trade outlets were
giving small plastic bags free of cost to their consumers, while shops
in malls were already charging customers for plastic bags.

In
May this year, the then corporation commissioner (in-charge) N Arumuga
Nainar, issued a statement saying that the Union ministry of forests and
environment, through a circular had banned plastic products with a
thickness of less than 40 micron. “The city corporation would slap a
fine on those who manufacture, sell and buy such banned products,” the
statement said.

However, neither has the usage of plastic bags
come down, nor any effort was taken to enforce the ban all these days.
Prior to the expansion of the city, Madurai generated about 450 tonnes
of waste everyday, out of which non-biodegradable waste like plastic,
glass, rubber and rexin account for two per cent. And a sizeable part of
this plastic waste is from the carry bags that are used unabated.