Mumbai: The plastic ban has finally come into force and the implementing authority — Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has more or less, started initiating action and penalising offenders. While the civic body has made tall claims to implement the new law in letter and spirit, it appears it is not aware of the “strategy” of several potential offenders, who are all set to evade being penalised.
This can be ascertained by a visit to some of the busiest marketplaces in the city. Plastic is used extensively by hawkers and vendors. With the onset of monsoon, hawkers and vendors, who usually operate without proper permission, are compelled to make use of plastic items like sheets to ensure rains do not hamper their business. Accordingly, hawkers and vendors have decided (unofficially) to continue using plastic items as they claim their business cannot run without these articles.
Explaining the “so-called” strategy, a pani-puri stall operator in Ghatkopar said, “We cannot stop using plastic items like sheets, disposable bowls etc. as we cannot function without these things.” “We are aware of the ban but we will continue using the banned items and whenever BMC officials raid, we will ensure they do not recover any banned items from our possession,” the stall-owner, who did not wish to be named, said.
According to another food stall operator from Dadar, they are “comfortable” paying the fines as imposed by the BMC. “They will ask for a fine of Rs. 5,000 from us. We are ready to pay the fines as and when required since our business will be adversely affected if we stop using the plastic items,” the stall-owner from Dadar said.
Apart from these hawkers and vendors who are ready to face the action of the BMC, there are also those who want the civic body to provide alternatives. “I believe the BMC has started implementing the new law in a haste. If we abide by the ban, we will obviously face huge issues, especially while packing liquids. We have no problem with the enforcement of the law as we understand that it is for the betterment of everyone but we think the civic body could have provided us with alternatives before enforcing the new law,” a foodstall operator from Chembur said.
