The Times of India 26.07.2012
Kolkata Municipal Corporation revives anti-plastic war
"Our teams will carry out more such surprise raids across city markets. Awareness drives will continue apart from the penal action that will be taken," said Sanchita Mandal, the mayor-in-council member overseeing the KMC environment department.For raising awareness, the KMC has roped in several NGOs. Though it plans to undertake the drive across the city, it will begin from major municipal markets like the Manicktala-VIP Market, Manicktala Market, College Street Market, New Market, Lansdowne Market, Gariahat Market and Bansdroni Market. The awareness drive will begin from next week.
According to plans, the first three days of the campaign will focus on making traders and customers aware of the plastic menace. If they refuse to comply, a 'penalty drive' will follow the awareness drive. "We will start with appealing to both customers and the traders to shun plastic carry bags below 40 micron thickness, which are banned under West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB) rules. If they don't follow our order, we will be forced to levy penalty according to rules," said Mondal.
To spread the message, the civic body has roped in Prosenjit. A 40 second ad film on 'plastic menace' featuring the popular Bengali film actor will be shown in the major municipal markets, said the MMiC. The KMC will also take the help of FM radio channels to spread awareness.
According to rules, the KMC can levy Rs 500 penalty on a shopkeeper for using plastic carry bags below 40 micron. The civic body will slap a fine of Rs 50 on the buyers for using the same plastic bags.
This is not the first time the KMC is launching an anti-plastic drive in the city. A survey of city markets showed that while vendors in some have responded to the KMC's appeal to shun 'banned' plastic bags, shopkeepers in some other major markets are yet to take a lesson.
"We have got good response from shopkeepers and customers at Jadavpur Market. But traders at Gariahat Market are yet to learn a lesson," said a KMC market department official. Besides the municipal markets, some of the city's wholesale markets will also be raided to put a check on the use of banned plastic bags, a KMC official said.
