Ahmedabad: Units shut, but plastic bags back to choking city

  • | Thursday | 13th September, 2018

Despite desperate efforts by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation to ban plastic bags in the city following United Nation's 'Beat the Plastic' mission, the environmental hazard is back to haunt the city. Interestingly, this is happening despite the civic body sealing all units manufacturing plastic bags that were below 50 microns. "There was a time when the AMC was very strict about not using a particular kind of plastic bags. Of the total collected garbage, 50 per cent are plastic bags," said Shaikh. So, if we have access to plastic bags, which also makes our customers happy, then why not keep them?

Despite desperate efforts by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation to ban plastic bags in the city following United Nation's 'Beat the Plastic' mission, the environmental hazard is back to haunt the city. The slogan did the rounds on social media for a considerable amount of time and the civic body officials went about inspecting each and every pocket and even sealed several units producing banned plastic. However, the nuisance is back and is again easily available with vendors who are in return handing them over to the customers. Though many shops are still not using it, vegetable and fruit markets are already rife with the banned product. According to vendors, reduced vigilance from members of the civic body has enabled plastic to hit the market again. "There was a time when the AMC was very strict about not using a particular kind of plastic bags. Even people were refusing to use them. However, there are reduced checks now and we have begun using them again, and the customers aren't refusing either," said Bharat Thakor, one of the vegetable vendors of Jodhpur area. Interestingly, this is happening despite the civic body sealing all units manufacturing plastic bags that were below 50 microns. "The other bags are costly. Nowadays, fewer customers are coming with their own bags. So, if we have access to plastic bags, which also makes our customers happy, then why not keep them? If the AMC wants to ban it they should ban the manufacturing of such bags first," added Thakor. Jasvant Vaghela, a fruit vendor at Prahladnagar said that the area where he does his business is partly commercial and partly residential. Many of the customers ask for bags there. "Even when there was a ban, we were taking a risk to make plastic bags available," he said. Former leader of opposition Badruddin Shaikh alleged that the civic body is not starting any drive that is sustainable. "AMC's drives are periodical. They start drives and create a lot of noise around it, but they end very swiftly. Plastics are back in the city and one can see it at the dump yards. Of the total collected garbage, 50 per cent are plastic bags," said Shaikh. Director of Solid Waste Management, Harshad Solanki, said, "I have taken charge just three days ago. I have to study the situation and look into the details. I can comment only after a week."

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