Traders declare indefinite strike against plastic ban

AURANGABAD: The plastic traders in the city declared an indefinite strike after the plastic ban came into effect with the government issuing a notification on Friday.

The notification allows the traders one month to dispose of the existing stock. All plastic and disposable cutlery shops in the city remained closed on Saturday.

In the Maharashtra plastic and thermocol products (manufacture, usage, sale, transport, handling and storage) notification, 2018, the state environment department banned the manufacture, sale, transportation and storage of plastic carry bags, disposable cutlery and non-woven polypropylene bags.

The traders have expressed discontent over the move saying that the government has made no alternate arrangements for people who make living from plastic trade. President of Aurangabad plastic shop

association

Om Prakash

Bhutada

termed the move as dictatorial. “The government has pushed 50 retail traders and 300 hawkers out of business,” Bhutada said.

Association secretary

Shaikh Nazim

said that a daily turnover of Rs 15 lakh within the city will be affected while around 1,800 families will have to face a livelihood crisis owing to the ban. “Moreover, the ban is going to prove detrimental to the dairy, sweets, bakery, oil, food and clothing businesses as well,” Nazim added.

Plastic trader

Khaeel Shaikh

said that the traders support the government’s concern towards saving the environment. “Like the government has, in the notification, allowed use of plastic for bottled water and packaged milk against the repurchase mechanism, we are also ready to repurchase the products sold by us,” he said.

Kazi Shafiq Ahmed

, another trader, feels that the state has been impartial in the drafting of the rules of the ban. “The big corporates engaged in FMCG industry and the milk cooperatives have been exempted from the ban while a poor man is being crushed,” he said.

Talking on the penalty and jail punishment for the offenders, the traders alleged that the government is punishing the hard-working people while preserving the interests of the major businesses.

The traders said that by complying with the plastic ban 2006 act, they should be allowed to sell plastic bags thicker than 50 mircons.