Other Tamil Nadu cities overtake Chennai in plastics ban compliance

While Chennai Corporation officials are finding it hard to strictly enforce the plastic ban considering the size of the metropolis and the volume of businesses using banned plastic products, smaller Corporations such as Coimbatore, Madurai, Vellore and even Thoothukudi have achieved moderate success.

A fortnight after the ban, Coimbatore has achieved a commendable 90 per cent compliance among commercial establishments and the public, according to civic authorities there.

“There is a good response for the plastic ban with about 90 per cent compliance among people in Coimbatore. Till Pongal day on Tuesday, the civic body seized about 2,167 kilograms of plastic from shops and has collected a fine amount of Rs 3.75 lakhs from violators. Though a majority of shop keepers have complied with the rule, some use banned plastics clandestinely and they too will be curbed through continuous raids,” said K Santhosh Kumar, City Health Officer, Coimbatore Corporation.

R Raveendran, secretary of Residents Awareness Association of Coimbatore (RAAC), said that the response from the public for the plastic ban has exceeded expectations. “Alternatives to plastics have found widespread use among the public. However, there are issues in finding a proper alternative to paper cups as the use of silver tumblers in functions are questionable when it comes to hygiene. Consequently, mini water bottles are used in marriages. There is a need to introduce ‘plastic coating-less paper cups’ to disassociate such use of plastic bottles,” he said.

Raveendran also said that the plastic waste generated in Coimbatore, which was more than 15 tonnes on a daily basis, wouldhave come down drastically following the ban.

The Vellore Corporation has seized nearly 9 tonnes of banned plastic products after the introduction of the ban on January 1. However, there was some ruckus in isolated pockets after officials seized plastic products that were not banned by the State.

Hotels were the prime losers due to the ban as they were used to packing parcel meals in plastic bags. “Once hotels put up notices, the number of parcel meals sold daily slumped by 60 per cent,” said KS Udayashankar, a hotel owner in Vellore. However, he welcomed the move as he added that after the ban, the public too were bringing vessels to buy meals or even coffee/tea. “Now, hotels provide parcel meals in approved plastic containers and they are packed in a degradable cloth bag with an extra charge of Rs 15. Thus, a normal, unlimited meal in my hotel costs Rs 75 if eaten inside but costs Rs 90 when requested as a parcel. People are accepting the new rule, and slowly but surely, the sale of parcel meals are improving daily,” he said.

Under the limits of the Madurai Corporation, around 20 tonnes of banned plastics that mostly include bags, cups and straws have been seized so far. The seized plastic was used to lay plastic roads and build plastic toilets, officials said. They added that 23 teams are scouting the city to ensure that the plastic ban is effective. The Thoothukudi Corporation has so far seized over four tonnes of plastic as the drive enters the third week, officials said.

Meanwhile, in Chennai, patientsand their attenders at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital(RGGGH) claim that some of the canteens continue to serve food with plastic spoons.

“I had gone to the canteen to buy food for my sister who is hospitalised here. From the news published widely, I am quite aware that plastic usage is banned in the state. I was shocked to find the staff distributing plastic spoons. When I enquired, they merely asked me to take it or leave it,” said Nandhini K, a resident of Mandaveli.

Stating that the Health Department had started imposing the ban on November 1 last year, Dr R Jayanthi, Dean, RGGGH, said, “We had already started imposing a fine before the state-wide ban when we found establishments in our hospital failing to comply with the ban. We would initially give them a warning, after which, if they refrained from following the order, we would charge them a fine, which differs for each establishment.”

Meanwhile, S Rakkappan, secretary of Tamil Nadu Plastic Manufacturers’ Association (TAPMA), said that most of the remaining manufacturers had shifted to producing above 50-micron plastic used for packing food items.

While assuring that all the plastic manufacturers have stopped producing the 14 items that were banned by the State, Rakkappan said that the manufacturers have approached the court seeking quashing of the government order. “We will approach Supreme Court if the High Court rules against us. The government should allow the use of plastic bags above 50 microns,” he said.

He also alleged that manufacturers of fake bio-degradable plastic are fleecing customers by selling the fake products at high prices and urged the government to take action against such fake eco-friendly plastic.

Virendra Kumar, president of TAPMA said that Tamil Nadu is using nearly 10 lakh tons of plastic products annually, of which 10 per cent are polythene bags. “If the government has a proper waste management system, littering of plastic can be controlled. Every year, only 5 per cent of total manufactured plastic is discarded,” he added.