Civic body fines 146 plastic offenders, bags Rs1.32 lakh

Fear of clogged drains, flooding makes BMC launch drive against vendors

The civic body is now taking its battle against plastic to vendors near municipal markets in the suburbs. It has caught 146 offenders in the last 12 days, collecting a fine of Rs1.32 lakh from them.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is worried that dumping of plastic and thermocol into nullahs and drains during monsoon will lead to floods, as was the case on July 26, 2005.
The shopkeepers, in turn, blame the customers. "We are well aware of the law against plastic bags, but what do we do when customers ask us for bags. Why should we lose out on business? We are caught between the BMC's fine and the customers' demands," said Pandya Tiwari, a vendor from the Mulund municipal market.
"Most shoppers don't carry their own cloth bags. Whom do we please — the BMC, or our customer? This fine is unfair. In any case, we take care not to dump plastic bags into drains," said Ramlal Haripad, who has a stall at Pali market in Bandra.
The drive is being undertaken at most municipal markets in the suburbs. "We have observed that vendors push plastic bags into the drains. Clogged drains had led to massive flooding on July 26, 2005, forcing the state government to ban polythene bags," said Rajendra Bhosale, deputy municipal commissioner (special).
Apart from this drive, action is also being taken by the civic body's solid waste management team, nuisance detectors and assistant municipal commissioners of each ward.
The fine can range between Rs100 to Rs5,000, depending on the nature of the offence. "There's no laid-down formula to charge offenders. It depends on how much plastic they are found with. If there are 2-3 plastic bags, we charge Rs500; a big plastic bag is charged Rs100. If vegetable vendor has 6-7 packs with 600 plastic bags in each, the fine goes up," said Bhosale. The drive has been undertaken in municipal markets in Mulund, Bhandup and Kurla, he added.
"If a vendor is caught twice, he will be prosecuted under the Maharashtra Non-biodegradable Garbage Act, which decrees that the minimum thickness of plastic carry bags must be 50 microns, and their size should be no less than 8x12 inches," Bhosale said.
But civic officials admit such drives are not enough. "Awareness programme in gullies and lanes is the next step. A complete ban cannot be achieved just by fining, as it's just a deterrent action. I know vendors are complaining, but this is the only way out," said Bhosale.