The Times of India 30.08.2012
No fines for violators of plastic ban
COIMBATORE: The anti plastic drive of the city corporation
is toothless at the moment as the civic body is not in a position to
penalise violators who do not stick to the 40 micron base limit for
plastic packaging materials.
The civic body is periodically
sending its officials to various units, mainly petty shops and
commercial outlets and plastic materials not adhering to the 40 micron
rule are seized in bulk. But surprisingly, not even a single violator
has been fined so far and the anti plastic drive ends with the officials
walking away with the seized materials.
"We are planning to
introduce stringent measures to fine violators. A resolution is expected
to be passed in either the next council meeting or the one after that.
Even though none of the violators have been penalised yet, the seizure
of plastic materials is a good deterrent for them and they are less
likely to violate the anti plastic rule," said SM Velusamy, mayor,
Coimbatore corporation.
However, the ministry of environment and
forest had amended the plastic handling rules in 2011 and had imposed a
strict ban on the use of plastic materials below 40 microns. Coimbatore corporation
officials had also started a major anti plastic drive with the seizure
of plastic materials from commercial centres. The corporation had even
warned residents and traders that strict measures will be taken
including the imposition of a fine up to Rs one lakh and imprisonment if
they violated the norms but no violator has been fined so far.
"The anti plastic drive will be further intensified in the coming days,"
said TK Ponnusamy, Commissioner, Coimbatore Corporation.
The civic
body has so far collected 2200 kg of plastic items this year alone. The
corporation had fixed penalty rates for violators when plastic weighing
below 20 microns was banned. The rate for wholesalers was
Rs 2500,
for retail traders Rs 750 and for individuals found using the materials
the fine amount was Rs 100. These rates were fixed four years ago.
After the ministry of environment and forest had issued a notification
in 2011 banning the use of plastic materials below 40 microns, the civic
body was supposed to pass a council resolution and amend the penalty
norms and upgrade the 20 micron norm to 40 as prescribed by the central
government.
