BENGALURU: The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (
BBMP) officers will now use a newly developed
mobile application, Plasto-Ban, to penalise those supplying, manufacturing and using banned plastic items.
Unlike the Palike’s other apps, which are primarily targeted at the public, this one will be made available only to the nominated health officers.
“There will be a two-step verification process to ensure only authorised officers use the app. Once downloaded, the officers will be able to upload pictures of the plastic item and details of the quantity seized. The location too will be automatically captured. The invoice for the fine will be generated on the spot and will be sent to the offender’s mobile phone,” NK Purohit, senior technical adviser, solid waste management, explained.
The app has been designed in such a way that if the same person is caught twice, it’d calculate a higher penalty compared to a first-time offender. It’ll also allow officers to keep track of how much plastic has been seized and from where, and the total penalty levied over a certain period of time.
While use of plastic below 40 microns was banned three years ago, the BBMP recently kicked off an intensive drive against manufacturing and consumption of banned plastic, and has been raiding and penalising traders over the past month-and-a-half. Between April 1 and August 16, the Palike seized 34 tonnes of plastic and levied penalties worth Rs 21.4 lakh. Currently, fine receipts are issued manually, with most offenders paying up on the spot. “However, if the fine amount is over Rs 50,000, then it’s paid on a later date,” said Dr Manoranjan Hegde, chief health officer.
Sarfaraz Khan, joint commissioner, health and solid waste management, BBMP, said the app would be rolled out next week and used exclusively by the 234 health inspectors and medical officers of health.
Representative image
