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Indore (Madhya Pradesh): The blanket ban over single use plastic in the cleanest city of the country has gone for a toss as sub-standard plastic items are freely available in the city under the very nose of Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) and custodians of the city who are responsible for ensuring a check.
Do you remember the time when Indore took an ambitious step banning single use plastic in the city? However, it seems like ages now. Plastic and plastic everywhere, why to carry jute? Happily shopping and demanding single use polythene bags have returned to the usual practice for city residents stepping over the claimed efforts of Indore Municipal Corporation.
Rupali, a usual visitor to Choithram Mandi is now not worried if she forgets to carry her personal thela shopping for vegetables relying on the fact to access a polythene bag from the vendor. The use of these banned plastic is not just for vegetables but for fruits, milk and every grocery one could possibly imagine.
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IMC Health Officer, Akhilesh Yadav said, ëWe have been taking action continuously and we will begin to enforce surveillance at the transportation, distribution and production of single use plastic in the city. We have already initiated a campaign to make people aware about harmful effects of single use plastic. Thela banks are also available for people at many public places so that use of cloth made thela could be promotedí.
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Plastic waste pollutes and harms the environment, becoming a widespread driver of biodiversity loss and ecosystem clogging the cityís image as the cleanest city in the country. Countering the situation, IMC plans a gig against those who manufacture, transport and buyers of single use plastic collecting a fine of Rs 5.52 lakh in the month of July.
Conversely, collecting fine does not provide fine solution to the rising concern of single use plastic compromising Indore's take on excelling the RRR factor of cleanliness. 'There was a time when people went crazy for buying customised jute bags or any other cloth bag as an alternative to polythene. Sadly, the trend has now gone silent. There are times when I carry my cloth bag to the market but still the vendor offers plastic bags instead. People refrain from buying cloth bags as they are now assured that polythene is available everywhere,' Ankit Shukla, resident of Airport Road said.
Mayor speak
Concerned over the situation, Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargav said, "Though IMC has imposed a blanket ban on plastic in Indore in 2019, the sub-standard plastic material is still in use under municipal limits. We will initiate strict surveillance on those who are responsible as single use plastic ban is one of our priorities and we are continuously taking action."
