BENGALURU: While World Environment Day is observed on June 5, the ban on plastic imposed by the BBMP has failed. Right from the big markets, grocery stores, hotels, restaurants, and convention halls, to street vendors, single-use plastic is in use everywhere. Solid waste management experts slammed the BBMP and said the plastic ban is not enforced at all.
V Ramprasad, advisor to the BBMP on Swachh Survekshan, said, “Nobody has taken the plastic ban seriously. First, BBMP, which is itself not worried in enforcing the ban. Companies under the Extended Producers Responsibility should be held responsible for the waste generated by their products and they have to take measures to ensure end-of-life handling. But they are not held accountable.”
“Further, people too have to realise that using plastic is harmful to them and the environment and switch to eco-friendly alternatives. But we see people still demand plastic bags while shopping,” Ramprasad said.
Swachha Eco Solutions co-founder Rajesh said the ban on plastic in Bengaluru is back to square one. “In 2016, BBMP banned plastic and also notified the penalties to be levied on manufacturers, traders storing and selling it, and commercial and domestic users. To enforce the ban, the Palike employed marshals too. However, during the pandemic, to curb the spread of the virus, they permitted the use of single-use plastics.”
In 2022, the Central Pollution Control Board directed state governments to ban a range of single-use plastics. The onus is on the BBMP to implement it and upload the measures taken, including the seizure of banned plastics, on the CPCB dashboard. However in the absence of any strict action, the banned plastics are available everywhere and even people are using it as if there is no ban on them, lamented Rajesh.