The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) has increased actions against the use of banned plastics in the city. In the last two months, the civic body seized over 1.36 lakh kg of banned plastic, this is the highest since the state government banned it in 2018.
The civic body has been taking action against the sale and distribution of plastic since it was first banned in 2018 by the state government. However, it increased its drive after the Central government's ban on plastic from July 1, 2022, across the country.
As per the data provided by the civic administration, till June 2022, NMMC seized a total of 88,168 kg of banned single-use plastic in the city. However, in the last two months, since the time it was banned across the country by the central government, NMMC seized 1,36,617 kg of plastics by taking action against 189 violators.
In 2022, NMMC has already taken action against 381 violators until the end of August and collected over Rs 18.95 lakh fines.
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 formed eight committees at the ward level. Following the ban, NMMC also conducted a workshop to inform people about the alternatives available for banned plastic.
NMMC also posts memes, banners and digital posters on its social media account to reach out to common citizens to create an awareness to stop using single-use plastics.
A senior official from the civic engineering department said that seized plastics and plastics collected as dry waste are made into granules.
"At the Turbhe dumping ground plastic waste and seized plastics are recycled and made into granules. These granules are mixed in tar and used in making roads,” said the official.
He added that these granules add to the life of tar roads and even it has already been used on 10 roads in the city.
