The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) in association with various local bodies conducted mass raids across the State on Thursday, and confiscated plastic bags that were less than 40 microns thick.
All plastic bags that are less than 40 microns thick are banned as they are significantly polluters of the environment.
In Chennai, Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram districts, where the drive was conducted in major markets, six tonnes of plastic bags were seized.
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“Wholesalers, retailers and manufacturers were covered. Our officials carried gauge meters to check the thickness of the plastics. A similar drive was conducted in February as well,” said a source at TNPCB.
In Chennai, the 2.5 tonnes of plastic bags collected from areas including Koyambedu market, Pondy Bazaar, Velachery and George Town area were handed over to the respective Chennai Corporation zonal offices.
Many traders in George Town including on Anderson Street and Malayaperumal Street shut shop and locked godowns when they got wind of the raids.
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“Instead of just raiding our premises, the pollution control board and the Corporation should take action against manufacturers. At present, we get plastic bags from areas including Ambattur, Porur, Chromepet, Pallavaram and OMR. If manufacturing of bags that do not conform to norms is stopped, we won’t get any supplies,” said a trader in Koyambedu.
Most plastic manufacturing units that sent out such bags are concentrated in Erode and Dindigul districts, he added.