MARGAO/PANAJI: The ban on the use of
plastic bags below 50 microns in Panaji and Margao came into effect on Sunday while in Mapusa the ban has been imposed a day later. The ban comes into affect two months ahead of the May 30 deadline set by chief minister Manohar Parrikar.
Imposed by the Corporation of City of Panaji and Margao Municipal Council, the ban in Panaji and Margao will begin to show from Monday onwards as most shops remained closed on Sunday. Mapusa council chairperson Rohan Kavlekar had earlier said that since April 1 is a Sunday, the ban would come into effect in Mapusa from Monday onwards.
As per announcements by the civic bodies, shopkeepers have been asked to register themselves by paying a monthly fee of Rs 4,000, or an annual fee of Rs 48,000 if they want to continue selling or dispensing plastic bags. Every offence will attract a penalty of Rs 5,000 as per Rule 15 of the Plastic
Waste (Management and Handling) Rules 2016 and confiscation of plastic bags if the seller is not registered.
“With effect from April 1, 2018, no person/s will be allowed to sell/pack/handover plastic bags to customers, be it a trader, shopkeeper, street vendor, including fish/chicken/mutton vendor or a bread seller or any other business establishment,” the order issued by the Margao Municipal Council states.
The move has upset some factions with traders associations protesting against the decision. However, authorities remain firm on their stand and said they are going ahead with the ban.
