BENGALURU: The sale of banana leaves have increased drastically in the city after the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) started coming down heavily on hotels, pushcarts eateries and other establishments using plastic. Shopkeepers, however, allege that officials are only booking cases against small eateries, but not against manufacturers and dealers selling plastic.
In the last three weeks, BBMP has booked close to 1,000 cases against pushcart eateries and registered and non-registered hotels using plastic covers to serve or parcel food. This move has upped the usage of banana leaves. Due to this sudden surge in demand, the price of the leaves has also shot up. Wholesale plantain leaf merchants say if the demand continues to go up, there may be a shortage during the wedding and festival season, though currently, there is adequate stock.
Banana leaves are sold in bundles of 20 leaves. Before implementation of the plastic ban, 15 bundles of banana leaves were sold for anywhere between Rs 120- Rs 150, but now, 15 bundles are sold for Rs 200. Each leaf costs 70 paise, while the plastic used, say to serve idlis, costs around Rs 20- Rs 25 for 100 covers. Leaves are supplied to Bengaluru from wholesalers in Chitradurga, Davangere and Channapatna in Karnataka, and from Dindigul, Madurai and Sathyamangalam in Tamil Nadu.
A pushcart eatery owner, Ramanna, in Katriguppe, said that last week, BBMP officials conducted raids on his eatery and levied a fine of Rs 1,000. “Officials warned that they would continue with the raids and that fine amounts would increase if they caught us using plastic again. So now we have started using banana leaves. We would buy 15 bundles for Rs 150 earlier, but now, its Rs 200. Even the number of leaves in a bundle has gone down to 17 from 20.
Banana leaves are not suitable to parcel food, the leaves end up tearing. So we are forced to use more than one leaf, he added. Another pushcart owner in Basavangudi, Manjunath, said, three weeks ago officials, raided his eatery. “We buy leaves from a vendor Mani, who charges Rs 150 for 10 bundles,” he said. The owner of Lakshmi Darshini in Hanumanthanagar, said, “We were using plastic on plates to serve food, but when we learnt that officials are conducting raids, we started using banana leaves and aluminium foil for parcels. Foil is costly, so we charge Rs 3 extra for parcel orders.
Owners of small hotels and pushcart eateries, however, are unhappy with the move. A hotelier requesting anonymity said, “Officials raided our hotel last week, but a darshini just 100 metres away is still parcelling food in plastic bags. Officials are paid hafta regularly, so they have not raided the darshini.”
Reacting to this, Sarfaraz Khan, Joint Commissioner, Solid Waste Management, BBMP said, “We have been conducting raids across the city. We are not sparing any darshinis, these are baseless allegations. I agree that there are few darshinis still using plastic, and we will conduct more raids from September 1, as we are getting marshals for this.”
Wholesalers speak
We charge more for smaller leaves used on plates to serve food, as we don’t get much profit from cut leaves. Bigger leaves sell well during weddings, bigger eateries also purchase the larger leaves
Satish J, owner, JS Plaintleaf Merchants, Chamarajpet
There is a high demand for banana leaves from hotels, but business has not shot up due to Aashada masa. I’m sure sales will go up during wedding and festival season. We charge Rs 10 per bundle of leaves, with each bundle having 20 pieces. We have stopped selling plastic sheets in the last 20 days Aiyappan R, owner, Skanda Enterprises, Chamarajpet
Earlier, we would sell one load of leaves in a week, but now, we go through one load of leaves in three-four days. If plastic is completely banned, we will need to source more leaces
Govinda, owner, Sri Venkateshwara Plaintleaf Merchants, Chamarajpet
Most plastic factories shut, claims BBMP
Several hotels and provision stores visited by The New Indian Express had a common complaint that officials were not raiding manufacturing units or factories. “We buy plastic if it is available, if it is not sold, why would we use it?” they questioned. To this, Sarfaraz Khan said, “We have searched for manufacturing units selling plastic, but learnt that almost all have been shut. So we suspect it is being brought to the city from outside. Plastic covers in the form of bundles are brought in mixed with other goods. I have noticed that plastic is reducing in landfills, which is the only proof that the ban is working.”