``It shows that the public is all for the ban,'' environment secretary Satish Tripathi told Newsline. Issued on December 24, a draft notification gave a one month's time to the public to present their objections. Over 30 organisations including citizens groups, NGOs, fishermen's societies and plastic manufacturers' associations responded to the notification.

According to G N Warade, scientist in the environment department, a majority of the responses, including the All India Plastic Manufacturers' Association said they were in favour of the ban. The notification is more along the lines of the guidelines the AIPMA had suggested to Union Environment Minister Suresh Prabhu early last year.

But not all the plastic manufacturers agreed.The Maharashtra Plastic Manufacturers' Associations in Pune and Nagpur and associations of small plastic manufacturers said that the ban would adversely affect their units since they had obtained bank loans to set up facilities to produce thinner guage bags.

The notification bans virgin plastic bags of less than 20 microns and recycled bags of less than 25 microns. All plastic bags will thus have the thickness of plastic milk pouches.

Though other states like Himachal Pradesh have already banned the bags, the ban in Maharashtra, which covers all municipalities and municipal corporations, will be the largest for sheer geographical reach.

Another dissenting voice was raised by Kisan Mehta of the Save Bombay Committee. He suggested that carry bags thinner than 40 microns be banned.The environment department felt that this step could be harsh and counter-productive.

``We cannot start with 40 micron bags as there will be opposition,'' Warande said, adding that the thickness of the bags could always beincreased in the future if the need arose. In a week from now a government officer will listen to the grievances of these affected parties.