Citizen Connect:75 days of ban- Periyar Nagar residents complain of streets littered with plastic bags

After the Plastic ban came into force on January 1 the state government had announced that violators would be fined up to Rs 1 lakh. Despite that, plastic bags are being used freely across several pockets in the city and as such, they find their way onto the city roads.

The residents of Periyar Nagar, near Perambur, claimed that even though they avoided using plastic bags, shopkeepers continue to hand out goods in them.

Rajeswari, a resident of the area, told DT Next, “After the Plastic ban was implemented, we opted for eco-friendly alternatives, but the shopkeepers are still using the plastic garbage disposal bags which they later throw on the streets.”

She also said that the Corporation officials are aware of the use of plastic bags in the area, but turn a blind eye nevertheless. “This encourages others to flout the ban,” Rajeswari said.

Manjunath, a High Court lawyer, said, “The government should setup plastic disposal centres in every residential area to make sure that people dispose all their leftover plastic bags there.”

He also said that without such centre, people would be forced to dump plastic trash on the roads. “Corporation officials should take immediate action to stop dumping of plastic bags on the road by setting up such plastic collection centres,” said Manjunath.

When the concerned Corporation official was contacted, he said that government had announced that plastic collection centres would be setup in every ward and once they are setup, plastic wastes can be dumped there. The official also said that Corporation officials are carrying out frequent raids to check the manufacture and use of plastic bags.