Chennai
Though Tamil Nadu Plastics Manufacturers’ Association (TAPMA), representing the interests of 8,000-plus plastics industries in Tamil Nadu, has welcomed the State government’s initiative, Meendum Manjappai, the forum has urged the authorities to implement GO-37. “As it was mentioned in the GO-37, the State government should ban all the plastic bags including the ones carrying milk, oil, and other eatable items,” says TAPMA president S Rakkappan.
He claims that with the ban on use-and-throw plastics, already about 4,000 manufacturers have shut down their business in the State and over four lakh people have lost their jobs directly or indirectly.
“At present plastic bags are being imported from Puducherry, Andhra, and Odisha since the item was not banned there,” he says adding “the government should also take steps to stop the transportation of plastic bags from these states”.
He alleged that big companies, which sell their products through plastic bags, were still benefited due to the non-implementation of GO-37. “We have already given several representations to the government to implement the order. But till now, the authorities have not heeded to our request,” he said.
S Dhanasekaran, a plastics manufacturer in the outskirts of the city, claims that he had already lost several lakhs of rupees due to the ban of plastics since he could not sell the existing machines.
“Though the government has brought Meendum Manjappai scheme, the existing machines could not be used to produce cotton bags,” he says adding “if the authorities could come up with a clean plan, including arranging the loan for the purchase of machines, the scheme would be successful”. He also says that the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board should come out with clear alternatives to the use-and-throw plastics other than compostable plastics.
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