Plastic ban: Mumbai civic body to continue awareness rath yatra for another 2 months

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, which has been conducting a ‘rath yatra’ for the past three days to raise awareness against the use of plastic, has decided to continue with it for another two months.

For the past three days, the BMC has had a truck going around the city with posters, speakers and officials talking about the harmful impact of plastic and the state government’s plastic ban.

Sangita Hasnale, assistant municipal commissioner, planning, said the “rath” would cover every administrative ward in the city over the next two months. “You will see posters, and hear self-help groups and civic officials sloganeering and telling you where to dispose off your plastic for the next two months,” she confirmed.

The campaign has already reached out to around 1.5 lakh people in areas such as Versova, Shivaji Park, Khar market, Gorai, Vakola, Churchgate, Dharavi, Deonar Colony and Chembur Naka. “We have sold up to 5,000 alternative items such as cloth bags to citizens,” Hasnale added.

Citizens, manufacturers and traders have up to June 23 to dispose of all banned plastic items, after which the BMC will start taking punitive action against violators.

Apart from undertaking the yatra and working with Advanced Locality Managements, the BMC plans to raise awareness through short films, advertisements in movie halls and street plays in each administrative ward.

Earlier, HT had reported that though the BMC has placed in civic markets and waste segregation centres, lack of awareness meant people were not really using it.

The civic body has also set up a temporary toll-free helpline (1800-222-357) for citizens to call a garbage truck to collect a minimum 1 kg of plastic waste from homes. The helpline will also suggest alternatives to dispose of the banned items.