The civic body has already decided to stop using of plastic bags in all civic markets.
The Market department of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will soon involve self help group for cloth bags for its market. The civic body has already decided to stop using of plastic bags in all civic markets.
“We are in touch with a number women self help group who will directly provide cloth or paper bags in civic market,“ said an official from the BMC' Market Department. He added that the civic body will not buy or take bags from Women Self Help group, but will ask shop owner to buy. "It is not practical for BMC to buy cloth bags and distribute in the market. The BMC will provide a platform for both self help group and shops to promote cloth bags in the market," said the official.
Initially, this will be started in four BMC market located two in Dadar and one each in Borivali and Malad. "We have asked marker associations to start composting of wet waste that is generated in these markets everyday.
Earlier, the BMC had decided to auction plastic bags which were seized in the last three to four years. However, before auctioning, the civic body will shred all the plastic bags to prevent from further reuse.
Thousand of kilograms plastic bags that were seized by the BMC in the last three to four years are kept at the godown of the market department. As the state government is working on a complete ban on the use of plastic bags, the BMC has decided to auction plastic bags lying in the civic godown. However, the civic body will first shred the plastic bags so that it should not come in the market for reuse. “We will auction all plastic bags only after shredding,” said a senior official from the market department.
According to official, the shredded plastic bags can only be recycled. “The step will prevent from plastic bags being dumped across the city specially in the sewage system,” said the official. Plastic bags were responsible for water logging during August 29 heavy rainfall as well as in 2005 deluge. “The city generates 7,300 metric tonnes of garbage everyday and a significant part of of which contains plastic. The drains were chocked due to plastic carry bags on August 29 rainfall,” added the official. Even after 2005 deluge in Mumbai, plastic carry bags under the thickness of 50 microns and size under 8x12 inches were banned by the State Government under the Maharashtra Non-biodegradable Garbage Control (MNBGC) Act.
In the last four years, the civic body has also registered over 3300 cases of the use of illegal plastic carry bags. “We have also collected fines over Rs1.6 crore from shopkeepers across the city. However, this is not deterrent for them,” added the official.
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