HYDERABAD: As continual use and sale of single use plastic (SUP) items are being observed in the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), especially in the informal sector including local shops and street vendors, the ULBs will conduct SUP ban enforcement drives jointly with the Telangana State Pollution Control Board (TSPCB), following the standard operating procedure (SOP) prepared by CPCB, for four days a month until June. A circular in this regard was issued by the Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) department.
The drives will include surprise field inspections on local shops, street vendors, wholesale markets, interstate borders, industries, bus depots, and railway stations, with special emphasis on all producers, manufacturers, traders, and retailers. Police force may be deployed during the inspection drive as per the requirement.
The schedule of drives would be finalised by TSPCB in consultation with the MAUD department and is to be completed by the 25th of every month. Inspections will be conducted through a field inspection app and reports will be filed on the SUP compliance monitoring portal.
Violations and details of action taken on commercial establishments will be reported by the department and violations and details of action taken on industries will be reported by the TSPCB. Information regarding suppliers of SUP items, plastic raw material suppliers (for banned SUP producers), and SUP producers (for plastic waste recyclers making granules) will be included in the inspection report.
The TSPCB has asked municipal commissioners to constitute district-level task forces and conduct enforcement drives.