Bhubaneswar: More than 1.5 tons of single use plastic has been seized by the Central enforcement team of Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) near Damana market area today. The team imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on the defaulter.
According to an official press release issued by the BMC today, BMC’s central enforcement team on its way to North administrative zone could sense the stock of such banned items nearby Damana.
In a regular practice the team entered into the market area to search for single use plastic with any vendor and a few members of them could know that the stock items are kept near the market.
To their surprise, the team suddenly traced a house nearby the market which serves as a stock unit of the materials. The team members entered the house where they found about 1.5 tons of single use glass, thermocol utensils, polythene carry bags and other such items.
The city authority has been restricting the use of single-use plastic items from time to time and regular checking of different vending units is continuing along with awareness drive.
Even giving domestic waste in a polythene pack is not accepted and Swachh Sathis are orienting community members in this regard.
“We are approaching at domestic, market and corporate level to get community support for the cause,” said BMC Commissioner Vijay Amruta Kulange.
It was found that team BMC had made enforcement in the same house last year and such items were seized. The defaulter was traced for the second time today where single use plastic items have been seized with a fine of Rs 25,000.
“Further action will be taken against the defaulter, if he continues with the same practice,” said BMC Additional Commissioner Suvendu Kumar Sahoo.
Team BMC has been tracing the defaulters around the city. Within a period from October 2022 to March 2023 about Rs 3,85,000 fine amount has been collected with a seizure of more than 3.5 metric ton of single use plastic.
The list of banned items includes – earbuds with plastic sticks, plastic sticks for balloons, plastic flags, candy sticks, ice-cream sticks, polystyrene (thermocol) for decoration, plastic plates, cups, glasses, cutlery such as forks, spoons, knives, straw, trays, wrapping or packing films around sweet boxes, invitation cards, cigarette packets, plastic or PVC banners of less than 100 micron, stirrers.
