Intensified drive against single-use plastic soon

Bhubaneswar: On the eve of nation-wide ban on single-use plastic, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Thursday decided to intensify enforcement drives against its sale in the city.
BMC commissioner Vijay Amruta Kulange said the civic body will create awareness among traders, shop-keepers and other people about government orders on single-use plastic. “We will call the wholesalers, manufacturers and traders and discuss with them about the ban. We will ask them not to sell and manufacture single-use plastic items,” he added.
The Centre has prohibited manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of 19 identified single-use plastic items across the country from July 1.
These items include earbuds with plastic sticks, plastic sticks for balloons, plastic flags, candy sticks, ice-cream sticks, polystyrene (thermocol) for decoration, plastic plates, cups, glasses, cutlery such as forks, spoons, knives, straw, trays, wrapping or packaging films around sweet boxes, invitation cards, cigarette packets, plastic or PVC banners that are less than 100 micron and stirrers.
The BMC sources said it will start the enforcement drive to seize single-use plastic items sold by traders in the city. The BMC teams will visit all the market areas and crack down on those selling and manufacturing these items.
Single-use plastic is used in the city despite the ban on use, sale and manufacturing of this product in urban areas since October 2, 2019.