The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) has resumed action against the illegal use of banned plastic in the city. In a joint operation with the police, the civic body seized 950 kg of banned plastic from vegetable market APMC on Thursday. Even traders were fined for using the single-use plastic bags.
Recently, the civic chief had assured that drive against the use of single-use plastic in the city would be started.
Following on the instructions given by municipal commissioner Abhijeet Bangar during a special meeting, the drive against the use of banned plastic was intensified by concerned departments.
On Thursday, at APMC’s vegetable market, the municipal corporation team fined Rs 30,000 from traders for selling and using plastics. Similarly, more than 950 kg of preventive plastic was seized during the operation.
In January, the Vashi ward had taken action against 45 violators and collected over Rs 2.5 lakh fines from them. They also seized 45 kgs of plastic from them.
During the lockdown, action against banned plastic was slowed down as there was hardly any activity. However, eying on number one rank in cleanliness survey, the civic body is stressing on action.
In 2018, in Maharashtra, the government had imposed a ban on manufacturing, use, sale, distribution, and storage of plastic materials that included one-time-use bags, spoons, and plates, among others.
Last year, the civic body between April to November, the civic body collected around Rs 2.2 lakh fine from violators. “Due to the lockdown, there was no action as there was hardly any activity outside,” said an official from the Solid Waste Management department. In the same period of April 2019 to March 2020, the civic body had collected over Rs 32 lakh fines from the violators.
The use of single-use plastic bags below 50 microns was already banned in 2006 and in 2018, the state government banned all kinds of single-use plastics and thermocol. Following this, the civic body had formed eight committees at the ward level.