BENGALURU: All attempts to ban plastic by the municipal corporation and the organisers of Kadlekaai Parishe seem to have failed again this year. The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagar Palike (BBMP) was boasting of creating awareness among people about ill-effects of using plastic and suggesting people to use cloth bags at the groundnut fair on Dodda Basavangudi Temple Road. But on the second day of the fair itself, Basavangudi streets are seen with piles of plastic waste. Vendors and buyers are also seen using plastic bags. BBMP says plastic will be seized and fine might be imposed on vendors for using them.
Last month, the BBMP had issued a circular which claimed that this time, the groundnut fair will be ‘plastic free’. The circular had also urged people to get their own bags while arriving at the fair.
A vendor Jaylakshmi who comes to the city from Tamil Nadu every year to sell groundnuts complained. “We were told that we should use paper or cloth bags while selling the groundnuts. We have to buy paper bags from KR Market, before we arrive here with our stock. One set of these paper bags cost us `120 and has only 60-70 pieces in it. Hundreds of customers visit a stall on all days of fair. These bags are neither sufficient nor affordable when one has to be buy in bulk.”
Another vendor Tirumal from Bangarpet said, “I wrap the groundnuts in papers and give it to the customers.” There is a mixed reaction by vendors over the circular issued by BBMP. While most of them are trying to opt eco-friendly measures such as paper and cloth, few others are not still aware of the circular. A local vendor at the fair recalled that BBMP’s circular reached vendors very late. “Several of them had already picked the stock from RMC or had arrived from far places with the stock.
They can’t rely on a circular which they have no clarity about,” he said. City Mayor Gangambike said, “A plastic-free Parishe would be possible only with the cooperation from both citizens and the vendors. While vendors are to be educated, the customers arriving in the fair also need to understand their responsibility and take cloth or paper bags.” She added that BBMP officials are patrolling in Basvanagudi and all the plastic bags and polythenes are being seized. “However, the vendors play safe sometimes. They hide their plastic stock. We are checking if there is a provision to impose fine on such vendors and action will be done accordingly.”
The estimated footfall at the fair this year is 4to 6 lakh. This may increase. A retired banker who visits Parishe every year suggested that BBMP should create awareness via PSAs and announcements wherever necessary, months before the fair, to reach more people. He added “Ads and announcements would help, as this is a huge gathering and a tradition which has been going on for years.”
Will a two-hour cleanliness drive help?
The BBMP corporator for ward no 154 (Basvanagudi) BS Sathyanarayan told CE: “Visitors should understand that plastic is harmful. Also, apart from the BBMP, the environment and other departments should also conduct educational campaigns ahead of the festival.” He added, “After the Parishe, we will conduct mass cleaning in the entire area. On December 8, between 7 and 9 am, all the medical shop owners here, a few locals and I will conduct cleaning drive.”