HYDERABAD: When Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) officials launched a crackdown on those selling plastic below 50 microns, they did not use micron testing equipment but relied on their fingers. GHMC does have a micron testing device required to check the thickness of the plastic being sold but doesn’t have enough numbers to use when doing checks on the field.
Allegations that GHMC officials do not use the device and have wrongly booked cases was first raised by traders at Begum Bazaar after three wholesalers there were fined `85,000 for selling plastic of banned sizes. The officials also seized 60 kilograms of plastic from the wholesalers, on Tuesday. “They don’t distinguish between those abiding by the law and those who don’t, also the officials measure the thickness of plastic using their fingers and not a measuring gauge,” alleged the wholesalers.
“The officials do not use the measuring devices and take rough estimate by just touching the material,” said Arun Kumar, G1 plastics at Begum Bazaar, who admits that the 30 kilograms of plastic sized from his shop were 40 microns in size. When asked about the allegation of booking cases without checking the thickness using a government-approved calibrated micron testing device, Shiv Kumar, an assistant medical officer of Health, Goshamahal circle, GHMC had this to say: “We have years of experience in the field and can tell the thickness of the plastic by just touching it. It’s true that we did not use a measuring device, the Goshamahal circle has just one device to check the thickness of plastic.”
Another GHMC official said, “These devices are not used every day and are only needed at the time of a raid that happens maybe once in three months so there is no need to keep them in high numbers. But when going for a raid, its ideal to carry more than one at least.” Another shop owner, Raunakh Loya said, “The checking is not done by the GHMC officials but by their staff. They check with their fingers and tell the official that they suspect the material to be below 50 microns, and the official gives his approval for a Rs 5,000 fine.
‘It’s profitable to buy bags that are below 40 microns’
Dinesh Singh who runs a Kirana store at BS Maqtha, Begumpet buying carry bags with higher microns would mean losses. “Carry bags above 50 microns cost Rs 95 for a kilogram, the higher the quality more the price. But for one kilogram we may get 80 to 85 carry bags whereas for carrying bags below 50 microns we get more quantity. A big supermarket can charge Rs10 for a carry bag, but I would lose customers if I start charging for carrying bags. Also, the carry bags get over quickly and have to buy more of the expensive ones.” The same reasoning was given by a roadside eatery shop owner and street hawkers.