In a bid to protect the environment from further damage, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has asked the managements of the shopping malls, super markets and other commercial establishments to provide incentives to customers who carry cotton or jute bags for shopping from Monday onward.

They have also been asked to put up stickers at the billing counters informing customers that Rs 5 will be charged for a plastic bag. Customers who bring cotton or jute bags, however, will get to save Rs 5 on their total billed amount .

GHMC has proposed stringent action against  managements who fail to implement the plan. The main objective behind this is to minimise the use of plastic carry bags, said L.Vandan Kumar, Additional Commissioner (Health and sanitation).

The move comes after the issue was raised by Corporator Ale Jeethendra during the ordinary general body meeting held on Thursday. He criticised the corporation’s failure to effectively curb the use of plastic carry bags in the city.

Former Mayor Banda Karthika Reddy said that the ban on plastic carry bags less than 40 micron has not been implemented strictly.

GHMC had held a meeting with the managements of malls and super markets last month where GHMC Commissioner M T Krishna Babu had issued circulars to the traders to provide incentivise the habit of carrying cotton or jute bags during shopping. He had also requested the establishments to use cotton or jute bags instead of plastic bags.