Field officers to conduct plastic raids in Chennai every day

In a circular issued by Manish Narnaware, deputy commissioner (health), the sanitary inspectors and sanitary officers should submit fine collected details with regard to plastic ban to district revenue officer before 2 pm of the next day via email.

"The fine collected details should be consolidated and submitted to deputy commissioner," the circular said.

As per the Chennai Corporation report, the field officials have seized 1,077.45 kilograms of banned plastic items between August 19 and August 24. During the period as many as 2,073 shops and commercial establishments, and more than Rs. 2.68 lakh has been collected as penalty.

The officials said that measures have been taken to trace down the manufacturers of banned plastic items and persons, who bring them into the city.

Recently, Manish Narnaware, along with other officials conducted raid in wholesale shops at Parry's Corner area and seized around 30 tonnes of banned plastic items.

"Most of the banned plastic items are being brought from Pondicherry. Raids and seizure will be conducted on a regular basis," an official said.

On other hand, activists allege that the officials fail to seize entire plastic stocks from shops. "Recently, I pointed out use of banned plastic in shops in KK Nagar. Officials visited the spot and conducted raids but they did not seize all the banned stocks," V Gopalakrishnan, an activist said.

The state government banned one-time use plastic items in Tamil Nadu from January 2019 and the Chennai Corporation was conducting searches across the city to seize the banned items. However the outbreak of COVID-19 hindered the actions against banned plastic as sale and use of plastic became ramphant again.

Between January and December 2019, the Chennai Corporation had seized more than 300 tonnes of banned plastic items.