SURAT: An elderly couple can be seen moving around on a scooter in Jehangirpura area of the city every morning for selling different types of plastic and cloth bags. They visit each and every store, shop and vendor along the streets to sell the bags with them. The couple started doorstep delivery of plastic bags after Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) imposed ban on plastic bags below 50 microns in June.Wholesalers have hired people like this couple to supply plastic and cloth bags at the doorsteps of users across the city. Many manufacturers manage to reach huge quantities of banned plastic bags to users despite the ban strictly being enforced by the local authorities. Many manufacturers also give 20 per cent discount.However, water pouches that were once freely available in the city are no more seen. Earlier, two lakh empty plastic water pouches were daily dumped among the garbage.Rajaram Mishra, a vegetable shop owner in Udhana, said, “We no longer visit vendors for plastic bags. We get our supply on daily basis at our doorstep. Vendors have hired people to supply plastic and cloth bags to their customers and have also reduced price by 20 per cent.”Dr Ashish Naik, deputy commissioner of health, SMC, said, “It is impossible to keep track on supply of plastic bags. Most of the plastic bag manufacturers are located within the city limits. We can only raid shops and street vendors. We have urged textile traders to use cloth bags for saris and dress material.”

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