With street vendors and small shops hoping to make a quick buck during the festival season, plastic bags to pack their wares have returned. With authorities focussing on controlling the spread of COVID-19, the banned material has returned to markets.
While most large textile shops and grocers have made the switch to cloth bags and other sustainable options, the small vendors are yet to do so. “Unlike big stores, we cannot afford to charge our customers an extra ₹ 5 or 10 for a bag. If we do not give them bags to carry the products, they will go to another shop,” said Lakshmi, a fruit vendor at Woraiyur market.
The Corporation had, in 2018, banned the use of single-use plastics, including carry bags, cups, straws, a year ahead of the government ban announced in January 2019. Since then the civic body conducted searches, seized these items and slapped fine on those selling them. “However, there has been a lapse over the last few months. When we asked the vendors where they buy the bags from, they said it was available in bulk in Dindigul,” said K.C. Neelamegam, secretary of Thanneer, a voluntary organisation.
Some vendors said that while customers used to bring their own bags earlier, many insist on plastic bags nowadays. “A customer who regularly purchases groceries from me asked if I could pack all the items in a plastic bag. She said that to avoid the spread of COVID-19, they would dispose of them after reaching home,” said another vendor.
The only viable solution is to ensure stringent laws are enacted. “Hefty fines and even imprisonment will instil fear and ensure that the norms are followed,” Mr. Neelamegam said. Awareness programmes must also be conducted, specifically targeting street vendors, he said.