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BENGALURU: Back in March 2016, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike banned use of plastic products with a thickness of 50 microns or less. Since then, over 2.4 lakh kilograms of plastic items falling in that category have been seized.

Bommanahalli zone, home to the country's top IT/BT majors, accounted for the highest share, contributing to 30% of the haul. Yelahanka and the East zone were next. Dasarahalli in the north-west accounted for the lowest seizure volume.

Statistics accessed by TOI show the rate of plastic seizure had been slow in the first two years of the ban, and gained significant momentum in the past financial year.

BBMP commissioner BH Anil Kumar attributed the higher seizure in some zones to citizen activism and drives undertaken by the Palike. "Take for example Bommanahalli. Members of HSR Layout resident welfare association were very active in alerting civic officials about the use of banned plastic in shops. Whereas in zones like Dasarahalli, there is a need to increase awareness about the menace."

Kumar urged more citizen groups to come forward and help BBMP in reducing plastic usage.

Shanthi Tummala, member of HSR Layout resident welfare association, appreciated the work done by BBMP health inspectors. "Some of them are so proactive that they penalise anyone seen using plastic. The ward officers hold review meetings once every fortnight to monitor plastic ban enforcement," she said.

A senior BBMP official said as per rules, all kinds of single-use plastics have been banned. "These include manufacturing, supply, sale and use of items like bags, banners, buntings, flex, flags, plates and other forms that use plastic micro beads. Only plastic above 50 microns used for packaging a product at the production level is allowed," he said.

Eco-warriors expressed happiness over the confiscation of plastic items but wanted the civic body to do more. Odette Katrak, founder of Beautiful Bengaluru, said, "It is good to see the civic agency keeping citizens informed about how it's implementing the plastic ban. But BBMP is yet to tackle the root causes. Despite the ban on manufacturing, plastic goods are entering the city from other states. This needs to be stopped."

