Maharashtra will be free of single-use plastic by May 1: Aaditya Thackeray

india

Updated: Feb 28, 2020 23:11 IST

Maharashtra will be completely free of single-use disposable plastic item by May this year, the state’s minister for environment Aaditya Thackeray said on Friday.

The state had banned the use of disposable plastic items, including plastic bags, cups, spoons, plates, tiffin containers, etc, in March 2018. It had given three months’ time to users, retailers and manufacturers to get rid of such items. The ban came into effect on June 23, 2018.

Thackeray was answering a question in the legislative council on Friday regarding the continued use of plastic in the state and Mumbai despite the plastic ban.

“I have directed all municipal commissioners to take strict action against any such cases. Maharashtra will be completely free of single-use disposable plastic by May 1,” Thackeray said.

The directives were given in a meeting of all municipal commissioners and district collectors on February 4, on a video conference call, Thackeray said.

In a question, members of the legislative council Anant Gadgil, Ramhari Rupnavar, Husnabanu Khalife and Wajahat Mirza, among others, said plastic continues to be widely used in fish, meat and vegetable markets, even in Mumbai.

Markets in Dadar, Byculla, Govandi and Mankhurd see the use of plastic bags for selling goods. The legislators asked about the action being taken by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to curb the continued use of plastic.

“Fifty-three manufacturers of plastic were shut down in Mumbai following the plastic ban in June 2018. Until February 184,210kg of plastic was confiscated and Rs 4.54 crore fine was collected in the BMC limit,” Thackeray replied.

Thackeray also said that Mumbai’s roads consist of 7% plastic and the state government has decided on a buy-back policy from conservancy workers at Rs 15 per kilo.