STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: Single-use plastic bags are still available in the market in Guwahati and elsewhere in the state despite its nationwide ban from July 6 this year. The ban seems to have no takers among the traders and consumers. A section of shopkeepers feels that the ban has only hiked the price of single-use plastics.
According to Guwahati Municipal Corporation GMC sources, the enforcement department of the civic body has inspected some markets in the metropolitan city only for six days since the imposition of the ban on July 6 this year. The prevalence of single-use plastics in the market makes it crystal clear that something has gone wrong in the imposition of the ban.
The enforcement team inspected the Fancy Bazar area in the city and seized two kg of single-use plastics on July 7. They issued three challans, leading to the collection of Rs 1,500 as fines. The team inspected the Fancy Bazar area again on July 22, seized eight kg of single-use plastic, issued ten challans and collected Rs 5,000 as fines.
The team also inspected on July 29 without any seizures. The team inspected the Ganeshguri area on August 2, seized eight kg of plastics and issued three challans, leading to the collection of Rs 1,500 as fines. The team seized two kg of plastics from the Noonmati area and collected Rs 1,000 on August 5. On August 8, the team seized 60 kg of plastics, issued three challans and collected Rs 1,500 as fines.
A shopkeeper of Ganeshguri market told this reporter, "The ban has no impact on the market. All traders and shopkeepers of this market use single-use plastics. The only visible change is that we have to buy banned plastic bags at higher prices. No one from the GMC inspects the use of single-use plastics in this market."
The owner of a departmental store in the Ganeshguri area said, "The consumers have given up the habit of carrying shopping bags on their own. We need to provide them with plastic bags of permissible thickness and charge the cost of the bags from them. However, most consumers refuse to pay the cost of such bags as they take bags as freebies. We have to suffer a loss in the process. The authorities need to realise that without awareness among the consumers, such bans will not be effective."
When contacted, a GMC official said, "We are playing our part. We have a market inspection team and one for bringing awareness. The teams inspect the markets and enforce the ban. We have had meetings with the presidents and secretaries of various market committees in Guwahati and requested them to bring about awareness of the ban on single-use plastics. We appeal to the public to stop using single-use plastic."
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