Plastic ban: 4K kg seized in seven days in Ahmedabad

As part of the World Environment Day, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) conducted a week-long drive of banned plastic seizure. In a week’s time, the authority seized 4,183 kg of plastic products which are banned in city. The authority also informed that a sum total of Rs 21.84 lakh was collected as fine.

The health department conducted raids at the manufacturers’ and retailers’ across the city who used banned products especially plastic cups or glasses, wrappers and water pouches.

As per an estimate of the retailers and manufacturers, Amdavadis consume ten lakh water pouches in a day. “Other than the water pouches, our streets have become free from plastic bags which were largely consumed at vegetable markets. The cups and bags clog drainage lines that further causes water logging during monsoons,” said Dr Bhavin Solanki, AMC’s medical officer in-charge.

“We have acted upon the units which are not following the civic body’s guidelines. In a week’s time we have sealed 125 major commercial units which are into production. We have served 4,897 notices to the commercial units,” added Solanki.

For mass awareness on plastic plague, the civic body is organizing street plays. Also, short films are being screened at multiplexes across the city. In near future, the AMC is going to install ten reverse vending machines to discard plastic bottles.