From today, Panaji says no to plastic bags

PANAJI: Starting today, the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) will implement a complete ban on the use of plastic bags in the city.

“We will go ahead with the implementation of ‘no plastic bags’ or a complete ban on plastic in the capital city of Panaji as decided,” said Commissioner of CCP Ajit Roy on Monday.

Speaking to this daily, Roy said that the CCP had given the shopkeepers, fish vendors, fruit sellers and vegetable vendors, hoteliers and others a grace period of one month and added that the time for implementing the ban has come.

The CCP had issued a deadline to all the commercial establishments, traders and business community stating that from October 2 (Gandhi Jayanti Day), it will implement the plastic ban and violators would be punished with confiscation and suitable fine depending upon the stock of plastic.

Roy said that since morning, all the 30 councillors were in their wards along with CCP teams to collect plastic waste. He said that the teams will visit the city market on Tuesday from 10.30 am onwards.

“We have distributed over 6,000 biodegradable bags to citizens free of cost and will also distribute around 25,000 biodegradable bags in the city market tomorrow from 10.30 am onwards. The CCP’s job is to look after the administration but it is the work of commercial establishments to find an alternative to plastic bags,” said Roy.

He said, “There are so many types of bags available in the municipal market other than plastic like cloth bags, woollen bags, paper bags, jute bags and all of them are biodegradable. What needs to be done is taking a bold step.” Roy urged the citizens not to use plastic bags and cooperate with the CCP.