The Hindu       21.03.2016  

Plastic ban, a bold initiative of Karnataka govt.

The much-touted ban on plastics has come about in
Karnataka with the State government taking the bold initiative of
issuing a gazette notification on March 11. This in turn is expected to
bring about a whole lot of change in the life of the common people,
whether it be in the disposal of garbage or the purchase of essential
commodities, including vegetables leave alone saving the environment
from degradation.

Essentially, all people have to
carry bags to the market, unlike the traders providing them with plastic
bags to carry their purchase. The situation, however, may be different
in the high-end malls where the shops provide paper bags for a price.

Karnataka
is thus in the forefront in ensuring a total ban on plastics although
it took nearly a decade for successive governments to evolve a
fool-proof blueprint and beat the pressure exerted by the plastic lobby.
That a ban on plastics across the State was on the anvil was well
known, but it is the timing which is of significance.

As
per an estimate, there are over one lakh people involved in the
manufacturer of plastic carry bags, flex used in advertising, plastic
cups and buntings, and a whole lot of plastic-based products, which are
undoubtedly an environmental hazard and major source of pollution. They
are all obviously up in arms against the move and some of them have even
ventured to move the courts of law.

Added to all
this are the large number of cottage industries engaged in plastic
manufacturing and the total trade has been estimated at over Rs. 1,000
crore. It is another matter that the authorities are unaware of the
total business in plastics given the fact that most of them are very
small manufacturers and their business is beyond the purview of audit.

The
government notification makes specific mention that plastic, no matter
its thickness, is banned across the State. “No shopkeeper, vendor,
wholesale dealer, retailer, trader, hawker or salesman shall use plastic
carry bags, plastic banners, plastic buntings, flex, plastic flags,
plastic plates, plastic cups, plastic spoons, cling film and plastic
sheets for spreading on dinning table, irrespective of thickness
including the above items made of thermacol and plastic, which use
plastic micro beeds”. The only exemption granted is for the export
units, apart from the plastic used for milk and milk products and plant
nurseries.

It should be noted that a sizeable part of
the garbage generated in Bengaluru is that of used plastic,
particularly the carry bags, and the blame squarely rests on the Bruhat
Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike which has removed all wayside garbage bins.
People are compelled to dump garbage in plastic bags on the roadside
since in most residential areas the municipal sweepers refuse to pick up
garbage. This has been identified as one of the major reasons for the
roads of Bengaluru being littered with garbage.

The
plastic ban in Karnataka is a step forward in the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan
initiative, and it calls for a people’s movement to ensure a
plastic-free environment. The State government has empowered a range of
officials — that of the municipalities and several other departments —
to enforce the ban, and it is imperative on them to exhibit their
commitment.

(
The writer is Resident Representative, The Hindu Centre for Politics and Public Policy, Bengaluru
)