SAMBALPUR: The Sambalpur Municipal Corporation (SMC) has intensified raids to ensure blanket ban on the use of polythene carry bags in the city.
A special squad comprising officials of SMC and Forest Department besides police has been formed to conduct raids and penalise the shops found using or in possession of polythene carry bags below 50 microns.
The team has been conducting regular raids on different shops October 1 and imposing fine on the violators. Deputy Commissioner of SMC, Sudhansu Kumar Bhoi said the team imposed fine on at least 30 shops in October and seized more than two quintals of polythene carry bags. The team also collected fine of over `2 lakh from the violators, he said.
The civic body has enforced ban on the use of polythene carry bags in the city from February 15 in a bid to make the city polythene free. Polythene bags were found to be the real cause behind choking of drains and water logging.
The SMC had collected fine of around `three lakh during the raids in the first three months. There was also a considerable dip in the use of polythene bags due to regular raids.
But, after the enforcement was slowed down, usage of polythene bags had increased. With awareness failing to bring in the desired results, it is such drives which can only bring in a grinding halt on the use of polythene.