HYDERABAD: Will plastic bags be completely banned in Hyderabad in near future? The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) is keen on doing so, though it remains to be seen how effectively will it be enforced. Of the about 5,000 Metric Tonnes of municipal solid waste generated by Hyderabad everyday, 450-50MT is plastic waste.
Though the Centre has banned plastic bags with less than 50 microns thickness, it is still available across the city making a mock of the ban.During the GHMC Council meeting held on Wednesday, GHMC commissioner B Janardhan Reddy submitted a proposal to the Council saying that the GHMC is planning to ban manufacture, supply, sale and use of all types of plastics including those above 50 microns. The Council has decided to recommend its proposal it to the state government for the ban to come into force.
The proposal says any person, individual shopkeeper, vendor, wholesaler, retailer, trader, hawker, or salesman shall not use plastic carry bags and no person should manufacture, supply, store, transport, sell or distribute them.
The proposed penalties for violations include Rs 25,000 fine for first time, Rs 50,000 fine for second violation and shutting down the firm for third offence. However, this is not the first time that the GHMC has talked about complete ban on plastic bags. Earlier in 2011 it had banned all plastic bags regardless of the thickness but soon the decision was withdrawn as there was no law to support the decision and the ban was later limited to thickness of plastic bags.
As of now plastic ban in Hyderabad is limited to manufacture and usage of plastic carry bags measuring below 50 microns, which is about 0.05 millimeters. This is in accordance with the plastic waste management rules, 2016 of the Central government, which made it mandatory to ban plastic bags with thickness less than 50 microns.
There are 18 States and Union Territories, where plastic bags are completely banned, regardless of thickness. Telangana is one of the few states where such a ban is not in place yet. States where complete ban on plastic bags is in place, are struggling to efficiently implement the ban.
Ban violations (2017-18)
2,625
No of cases booked by GHMC
Rs 26.03 lakh
Amount collected by way of penalty