BHUBANESWAR: Keeping date with the 15oth birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, the State Government will enforce blanket ban on single-use plastic in all urban local bodies from Wednesday in its bid to make Odisha plastic-free.
As a result, there will be total restriction on manufacture, sale, trade, import, store, carry, transport, use or distribution of polythene and single-use plastic items such as drinking water packed in polythene terephthalate bottles of less than 200 ml capacity and cutlery made of thermocol, polyurethane or plastic.
Polythene bags of any shapes, sizes and thickness and water pouches will be banned, Forest and Environment Department said in an order. The ban also covers thermocol decorative materials and plastic dishes including spoon, cup, plate, glass, fork, bowl, container and pouches.
However, the State Government has allowed manufacturing of plastic sheets above 50 microns, Special Secretary, Forest and Environment Department K Murugesan said. Manufacturers of those sheets will have to obtain certificate from the Central Pollution Control Board before selling and marketing their product.
Similarly, manufacturers and vendors will not be allowed to use polythene sheets of less than 50 micron thickness to store, transport, dispense or package any article, commodity, food items and consumable products including milk, milk products and edible oil.
Polythene materials for packaging of medicines, manufacturing of blood transportation bags, syringe, sample or specimen bags and resealable bags, however, have been exempted from the ban.
The Government has asked all religious places, hotels, restaurants, cinema halls, shopping malls, cafes, mobile food counters and vans, caterers, kalyan mandaps, institutions and outdoor event organisers to strictly comply with its order. Shop owners and vendors in possession of the prohibited materials have asked to dispose those of within a month.
The department said small vendors who flout the norms will be penalised as per the municipal by-laws, while manufacturers, dealers and major commercial establishments will face action as per Environment Protection Act which prescribes minimum punishment of five year in jail and penalty upto ` one lakh.
Murugesan said, the Collectors and civic bodies have been asked to conduct awareness drive in areas under their jurisdiction.
After banning single use plastic in six cities last year, the State Government had on September 17 announced to extend the prohibitory order to all urban areas from October 2.
Forest and Environment Minister Bikram Keshari Arukh had said single use plastic products would be banned in all NACs, municipalities and municipal corporations from Gandhi Jayanti day. The entire State will be covered by the ban from October next year.