SAMBALPUR: The Sambalpur Municipal Corporation (SMC) has continued action against those violating the ban on single-use plastic. It collected Rs 52,400 in fine from the violators from April to June this year.
Enforcement officer of the SMC, Subhankar Mohanty, said the raids will continue at regular intervals. He also emphasized on the cooperation from all stakeholders, especially citizens for effectively eliminating the single-use plastic. Mohanty also informed that the SMC earned Rs 2.45 lakh by penalising violators during the last financial year.
The SMC imposed a ban on the use of polythene products below 50 microns in the city limits on February 15, 2015 and regular raids have been conducted since then. Later, the SMC also followed the draft on the ban of single-use plastic, which was released by the government, and it led to the prohibition on the use of disposable plates, spoons made of of plastic as well as thermocol items in addition to polythene carry bags over the past few years.
However, despite the ban, there are still instances of some individuals continuing to use single-use plastic. The use of banned plastic is more common among small vendors, particularly in the Golebazar vegetable market.
An official of the SMC attributed the use of banned plastic to lack of awareness among the public and negligence of traders. “Some traders are procuring the banned items from Raipur and Kolkata and selling it to small traders and roadside vendors. However, raids will be conducted regularly to completely eradicate their use,” he said. The SMC had collected around Rs 1.30 lakh by penalising violators in the 2021-22 fiscal.
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