Maharashtra

Pune Municipal Corporation

PMC

Ramdas Kadam

Gudi Padwa

Mukta Tilak

Suresh Jagtap

Chetan Tupe

Even as the state government decided to ban the use of plastic across, the(PMC) has decided to go one step ahead and provide people with an alternative to plastic by manufacturing paper bags. The proposal will be tabled in the general body meeting in April for approval. While leaders of the opposition have welcomed the plastic ban, they have demanded thatshould promote cloth bags instead as paper requires trees to be cut.The decision to ban plastic was taken at the meeting of cabinet ministers on Friday and will be implemented in two phases. Earlier, state environment ministerhad said the ban would be enforced on March 18 —, or Marathi new year. It will be implemented in two phases to ensure that manufacturers get sufficient time to switch to other modes. Eventually, there will be a blanket ban on the use of plastic throughout the state. While the GR of the decision is yet to be released, PMC has already started preparing for the implementation. While by-laws were recently passed for curbing the use of plastic, these laws will now be amended on the basis of the state policy.Speaking about the move, Pune mayorsaid, “We welcome the decision by the state. PMC had already started taking steps towards a plastic-free city. We also feel that we need to provide an alternative to citizens and so, we have decided to start manufacturing paper bags. These will not only provide an alternative, but jobs to many. A detailed project report is being prepared and will be tabled before the general body by April.”While they are preparing to implement the alternatives, PMC authorities will also have to stop taking charges for the use of plastic., head of the solid waste management department, said “While this plan is being prepared, we are also waiting for the state government to release the GR. Once that comes, we will be able to prepare the plan for the implementation of the ban.”Leader of opposition,, however demanded that PMC should promote cloth instead of paper. Speaking to Mirror, he said “We have been trying to implement this ban for almost a decade. PMC was the first corporation to implement a plastic ban and the then commissioner had also imparted training to various women for stitching cloth bags. Citizens and shopkeepers had responded positively to this. But we were facing problems with the implementation since the companies producing bags were outside PMC limits and the units didn’t always reach the city. We feel that people should start using cloth bags and PMC should try and promote them, too. While you are banning plastic, paper shouldn’t become an option since trees are cut to make paper. The state has taken up a ban that PMC had already started, and now the latter must continue to lead from the front.”