In the last five years, the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation has seized over 79,000 kg of banned single-use plastic in the city. The civic body has been running drives against single-use plastics since the state government banned it in 2018. So far, the civic body has also seized banned single-use plastics worth Rs 1.5 crores.
As the civic body is eyeing the number one spot in the cleanliness survey, it has been taking a number of steps including action against the use of banned plastics in the city. As per the data provided by the solid waste management department, a total of 79,845 kg of banned plastic was seized till April 2022 and were disposed of scientifically at its dumping yard in Turbhe.
The use of single-use plastic bags below 50 microns was already banned in 2006 and in 2018, the state government banned all kinds of single-use plastics and thermocol. Following this, the civic body formed eight committees at the ward level. In 2018 alone, the civic body banned 39,210 kg of banned plastic from 969 violating shops across the city. The civic body also collected Rs 46.99 lakh fines from them.
Similarly, the civic body continued its drive in the subsequent years and seized 30,845 kg of banned plastic in 2019 from 1131 shops. It also collected Rs 61.19 lakhs as fines.
Even during the Covid period, the civic body continued its drive and in 2020, it caught 584 shops for using the banned plastic and collected Rs 30.7 lakhs fine.
After the central government banned single-use plastic, the civic body conducted a workshop to inform people about the alternatives available for banned plastic.
It also posts memes, banners and digital posters on its social media account to reach out to common citizens to create an awareness to stop using single-use plastics. In one of the informative posters, the civic body compares the lifespan of a turtle and a plastic bag. While the lifespan of a turtle can be around 150 years, a plastic carry bag takes around 450 years to decompose. Even in the lifespan of a turtle, the plastic bag does not decompose and it continues to harm the marine ecosystem.
(To receive our E-paper on whatsapp daily, please click here. To receive it on Telegram, please click here. We permit sharing of the paper's PDF on WhatsApp and other social media platforms.)
