Buck up, enforce plastic ban, local bodies directed

CHENNAI: The local bodies have been asked to buck up and conduct special drives to enforce plastic ban in the city. Harminder Singh, principal secretary, municipal administration and water supply department, who held a meeting with Greater Chennai corporation, has asked them to intensify measures to enforce plastic ban. He is also holding similar review meetings at other corporations, including Coimbatore.
"I have instructed them to cover all establishments and supply points. Chief minister E K Palaniswami is reviewing the progress every day," he said.

The Greater Chennai Corporation seized more than 94 tonnes of banned plastic between January 1 and February 3. Howeverm there have been no sustained measures to implement the ban - including cracking down on violators, penalizing, or framing a policy for plastic waste management. Officials have not conducted raids at various supply locations, like Parry's Corner, from where majority of banned plastic are distributed.

The commissioner of municipal administration, G Prakash, said that more than 4,600 tonnes of banned plastic were seized in other 11 corporations and 124 municipalities. "We are able to find several behavioural changes in people. We are conducting frequent raids and are creating awareness as well," he added.

P Madhusudhan Reddy, deputy commissioner, Health, Greater Chennai, said that they will intensify the drive. "We have been raiding various shops every day. We will now crack down at locations where we suspect high plastic usage. While smaller shops will also be covered, we will focus more on the bigger units," he said.