Government proposes ban on plastic in urban areas from September 10

PATNA

: The state government has proposed a ban on the manufacture, import, store, transport, sale and use of plastic carry bags of all sizes and thickness in municipal corporation/council and

nagar panchayat

areas in the state from September 10.

A draft notification was uploaded on Saturday to the official websites of Bihar State Pollution Control Board (BSPCB) and the state’s environment and forest department for seeking public opinion on the issue. People can send in their views on forestbihar@gmail.com or at bspcb@yahoo.com over the next 30 days. The proposal has been made under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.

As per the notification, “no person, including a shopkeeper, vendor, wholesaler, retailer, trader, hawker, feriwala or sabjiwala shall sell or store or distribute or use any kind of plastic carry bags for storing or dispensing of any eatable or non-eatable goods or materials,” in the municipal corporations and nagar panchayat areas in the state.

However, plastic carry bags above 50 microns used for the disposal of biomedical waste have been exempted under the Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016. The plastic containers used for packaging food materials, milk and milk products and raising plants in the nurseries have not been deemed as carry bags and hence are exempted.

The state government has also reserved the right to provide for any exceptions in the notification as deemed necessary after assessment. Legal action would be taken against those found in violation of the present directives under the notification after 30 days.

Plastic bags are non-biodegradable and produce toxic gases on burning. “The present notification has been issued after assessing the adverse effects of plastic carry bags on the environment and ecology as well as human health,” a BSPCB official said.


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