NEW DELHI: The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) has established a control room to monitor the implementation of the Single-Use-Plastic (SUP) ban on the 19 identified items and will start shutting units violating the ban from Monday, officials said on Sunday.
All complaints related to the violation of the ban and action taken by the direct enforcement teams will be received at the control room, an official said. “Though the DPCC’s mandate is to keep a check on the manufacturing of SUP items, complaints related to the violation of the ban in markets and other public places can also be sent to our control room. We will transfer it to the municipal bodies concerned,” he said.
Grievances regarding the infractions can also be lodged through the Green Delhi application of the government or under “SUP-CPCB” application of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). “We will start closing down units violating the ban from Monday under relevant provisions of the law. No more warning will be given,” the official said.
Environment Minister Gopal Rai said the government would be lenient towards those violating the ban for the initial 10 days and focus on creating awareness against the use of such items and promote their alternatives.
He had said that the authorities would issue warning notices to units found violating the ban on the 19 SUP items till July 10 and punitive action would be taken thereafter against repeat offenders. The action will include a fine of up to `1 lakh or a jail term of up to five years or both under the Environment Protection Act, 1986. The revenue department and the DPCC have constituted 33 and 15 teams, respectively, to ensure the enforcement of the ban. The DPCC has to ensure compliance with the ban in conforming areas, while the MCD and other local bodies will monitor the informal sector.
The MCD and other urban local bodies will act against the defaulting units according to their bylaws, while the revenue department will take action under the Environment Protection Act. The SUP items seized during the enforcement drive will be incinerated in waste-to-energy plants to ensure they do not end up in landfills or clog water bodies.