The BMC will be holding an exhibition at the National Sports Club of India (NSCI), Worli to introduce alternatives to banned plastic items before it begins penalising citizens for using them. Beginning June 23, all municipal corporations will impose fines up to ₹5,000 on violators.
With penal provisions of the ban on certain plastic items yet to come into effect, they were freely available in markets. Even the response to BMC’s dedicated bins, crushing machines and collection vans was lukewarm. Of the tonnes of plastic being collected across the city every day, only a fraction came from the dedicated bins. Plastic waste is also segregated by ragpickers from domestic waste.
The exhibition, to be held from June 22 to June 24, will be open to all and will showcase alternatives to plastic items made by self-help groups and entrepreneurs. Recyclers have been allotted stalls, where they will detail ways in which banned products can be recycled at home, or agencies that can collect them if the quantity is large.
Actors Ajay Devgn and Kajol are expected to attend the inauguration.
Assistant Municipal Commissioner Kiran Dighavkar, nodal officer for the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, said, “The idea is to provide alternatives to the banned plastic items. Simply banning something is not effective, so we’re giving alternatives so that the ban can be implemented.”
The BMC has a team of 200 officers to identify and fine violators, who will be assigned inspection areas on a random basis. Drawn from three civic departments, the team members will hold valid identification and a letter authorising them to take action.
