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Environment

Ban on plastic poorly implemented in Mandya

Thursday, 26 July 2012 08:53 administrator
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The Hindu       26.07.2012

Ban on plastic poorly implemented in Mandya

M.T. Shiva Kumar

Plastic bags of less than 40 micron thickness still in use

RENEWED EFFORT:As efforts to curb the use of plastic bags thinner than 40 microns have failed so far, the Mandya City Municipal Council has decided to re-launch the drive.— FILE PHOTO
RENEWED EFFORT:As efforts to curb the use of plastic bags thinner than 40 microns have failed so far, the Mandya City Municipal Council has decided to re-launch the drive.— FILE PHOTO

 

The programme to ban plastic carry bags of less than 40 micron thickness has failed here.

To make the city environment-friendly, the Mandya City Municipal Council banned the sale of such plastic bags across the city in 2011.

The ban has made manufacturing, storage, import, sale and transport of plastic bags illegal. Violators can be prosecuted under Section 15 of the Environment Protection Act, which prescribes imprisonment for five years or a penalty of up to Rs. 1 lakh, or both. However, the CMC has restricted itself to only imposing fines in the range of Rs. 100 and Rs. 300.

Though the law permits cancellation of trade licences of violators, not even one licence has been cancelled by the CMC so far.

16 lakh bags a day

Mandya has at least 4,000 shops, including supermarkets. They sell or give customers at least 16 lakh plastic bags every day, said a supplier of plastic bags on V.V. Road.

While small shopkeepers use at least 200 plastic bags, supermarkets and big shops use as many as 600 plastic bags a day, he said.

“The Mandya CMC has failed to tackle the issue” T.S. Sathyananda, spokesman for the Mandya District Congress Committee, said.

Meanwhile, officials at the Mandya CMC said that Rs. 30,000 had been collected as penalty from shopkeepers for violating the ban.

“With a view to keeping the town clean and hygienic, we banned the sale, storage and use of plastic bags,” S. Prakash, CMC Commissioner, told The Hindu . According to him, councillors themselves objected to the drive against the sale of plastic bags of less than 40 micron thickness .

“We raised the issue at the CMC meet recently as we continuously faced objections from the councillors. In future, we will invite the councillors to take part in our drive against the plastic bags menace,” Mr. Prakash said.

Under the ban, foodstuffs cannot be packed in plastic material. However, hoteliers are still using plastic bags of less than 40 microns thickness.Mr. Prakash urged hoteliers and trade establishments to cooperate with the CMC to implement the ban effectively.

As efforts to tackle the issue have failed so far, the CMC has decided to re-launch the drive.Besides eradicating the menace of plastic carry bags from the city, the CMC would also create awareness among the public, said a health inspector.

Squads

The CMC plans to deploy squads across the city to check the use of such plastic carry bags.“We will issue advisories through the media and seek cooperation from shopkeepers. The CMC will give enough time to commercial establishments to clear the stock of carry bags [that they have already acquired],” he said.

Besides issuing directions to shops and commercial establishments to use plastic carry bags that are thicker than 40 microns, the CMC would cancel the trade licences of violators, Mr. Prakash said.

  • Violators can be jailed or fined up to Rs. 1 lakh
  •  CMC has not cancelled trade licence of any violator so far

 

Residents, councillor spar over trees

Wednesday, 25 July 2012 11:33 administrator
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The Times of India   25.07.2012

Residents, councillor spar over trees

, TNN | Jul 25, 2012, 03.13AM IST
 
NEW DELHI: A group of Jangpura Extension residents and the area councillor Ravi Kalsi are at loggerheads over the latter's plans to relocate five neem trees from a neighbourhood park. The residents have complained against Kalsi to South Delhi Municipal Corporation's zonal office, alleging that he is trying to relocate the trees without permission. However, the Congress leader argues that most residents of the area favour removal of the trees to plant grass.

"The trees were planted by the residents with the help of the then councillor and MCD officials. The councillor wants to destroy the green lung of the area. Though he doesn't have necessary permission, he is determined to relocate these trees,'' said Sharon Lowen, a resident of Jangpura Extension. Seerath Narindra, another resident, said, "The councillor has not taken any permission from the competent authorities for this."

Asked whether he had the forest department's permission, Kalsi said, "I don't need any permission. I'll relocate these trees from here. I'll not let these trees grow here. People of this area want a park which has grass. But due to trees, it is difficult to grow grass here. I'll do what the majority wants."

A group of residents, mostly women, have been actively involved in the maintenance of this park. "If the other residents had a problem, they should have objected to it when these trees were planted. The decision to plant these trees was taken by the residents and MCD's horticulture department. The councillor should respect the efforts made by the residents. There are more than 40 parks in the area. The councillor can plant grass anywhere. Why are they focusing only on this park?'' said Jagdish Mamgain, former area councillor and president of Progressive Party.

Following complaints from the residents, the forest department carried out a survey of the area. "Of the five, two qualify as trees and the rest are saplings. We have not received any request from the civic agency to relocate these two neem trees. If any damage is caused to the trees, the civic agency will be held responsible,'' said Prashant Rajgopal, deputy conservator of forest.

While the councillor is firm on relocating the trees, the south corporation's zonal horticulture department has directed its staff to not alter anything. "We have directed the staff not to relocate these trees and saplings without orders from the zonal office. We can't relocate trees without permission from the forest department,'' said an official. Kishan Kumar, deputy commissioner of south corporation's central zone, said, "There is a proper procedure for relocating trees. We have not received any request from the area councillor (Kalsi) to relocate any tree. If a request is made, we will evaluate if it is really necessary to relocate the tree, and accordingly forward the request."

Environment group Green Circle has come to the rescue of the residents who have been trying to protect the trees. "There should be zero tolerance towards such attempts. We will not allow people to destroy the green lung pockets in Delhi. We will visit the park and support the residents in there fight to save nature," said Suhas Borker, founder of Green Circle-Delhi.
 

Ex-corporator in dock for hacking trees

Wednesday, 25 July 2012 09:31 administrator
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The Times of India    25.07.2012

Ex-corporator in dock for hacking trees

NASHIK: Branches of an ancient banyan and Indian fig trees, located near an office close to Ekmukhi Datta Mandir, on the banks of the Godavari, were cut without permission from the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC), on Sunday.

The environment wing of Nationalist Youth Congress stopped the trimming and filed a complaint at Sarkarwada police station against a former corporator who was allegedly responsible for getting the branches trimmed.

Regional coordinator of the environment wing of the Nationalist Youth Congress, Rahul Bagmar, stopped the activity trimming of the branches near Ekmukhi Datta Mandir

upon learning about it. Bagmar said that he alkong with some of his volunteers went to the control room and took the police with them to put an end to the illegal activity.

"By the time we reached the spot nearly 30% of the branches had already been were already cut. The branches were very sturdy. The labourers cutting the tree did not have the permission from the municipal corporation to do so," said Chaitanya Kavre, divisional president of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). "I went there as a citizen to question the illegal trimming of the tree. The procedure to trim or cut a tree involves submitting an application to the NCM, that is followed by a notice being published which asks for objections from citizens within a specific time frame. A hearing is conducted thereafter and only if the officer feels that the hackning is merited does he or she grant the permission to cut down the tree. This procedure is applicable to trees growing within private premises also. Moreoever in this instance both, banyan and Indian fig, are scheduled plant species and should be preserved, instead of being trimmed," Kavre added.

He said that he had taken the police along with him to stop the trimming and has submitted an application to the Sarkarwada police station to register an offence against the president of the karyalaya. "The police did not agree to file a first information report (FIR) so we have just given an application to take action and have submitted copies of the application to the CM, the deputy CM, ministry of forests, guardian minister (Nashik), the mayor and municipal commissioner. If no action is taken against those responsible for trimming the trees without permission, we will file a public interest litigation," said Kavre.

Former corporator Vijay Sane, who is the chairman of Chithpaavan Mangal Karyalaya said that the branches of the tree located at the Datta Mandir, were leaning on the gallery of the Karyalaya and would have fallen on anyone passing from there. "It was dangerous so I got them cut. I was a corporator since the past 15 and have planted many trees," he said.

Initially he said that it was not necessary to seek permission to trim branches of trees but later said that they had stopped the trimming at present and would resume the trimming after seeking permission.

Last Updated on Wednesday, 25 July 2012 09:39
 
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