Delhi govt clears Bill to ban plastic carry bags

Delhi govt clears Bill to ban plastic carry bags
SANTWANA BHATTACHARYA

NEW DELHI, DEC 3: The Delhi Government finally cleared the long-pending Bill banning the use of plastic bags on Thursday.

The Bill which attempts to bring the indiscriminate use of plastic bags under strict control, will be enforced from December 24. This would mean stricter specifications for the plastic bag manufacturers.

To begin with, it's big `no' for coloured plastics bags. All bags have to be white.

The minimum thickness of a plastic bag cannot be less than 20 microns; there would be a ban on using these bags for foodstuff.

There has to be a clear marking on the bag saying that it is made of `recyclable' plastic, and there would be fines for defaulters and even imprisonment.

Unlike the Bill passed by the Union Cabinet last month, in Delhi one need not go to the court to take a culprit violating the plastic bill to task.

A complaint against a defaulter can be lodged with a gazetted government official, who will have the power to take punitive action against thedefaulter.

The Delhi Pollution Control Committee will be the prescribed authority whose permission would be needed for manufacture and sale of plastic bags.

The much needed decision was taken at a meeting of the State Cabinet on Thursday after sitting on the draft bill for over six months. Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit had earlier indicated in an interview with The Indian Express that her government was waiting for the Central clearance to enact the Bill.

However, the environmentalists were certain that the Government was succumbing to the plastic lobby which had been working overtime to get the Bill stalled. Known as the Delhi recycled plastic use, storage of non-biodegradable garbage control Bill, it dwells extensively on handling and management of plastic bags.

The local authorities, like the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and the Delhi Administration more directly, will be responsible for safe disposal of plastic bags. Every local authority and users in public places will have tomaintain separate bins for disposable plastic bags.

The Bill to be presented at the winter session of the Delhi Assembly has been assured a safe passage with the Opposition expressing their support.