Citizens using thin plastic bags face Rs 5,000 fine ……….Clara Lewis | TNN
Mumbai: Carrying a thin plastic bag could soon cost you Rs 5,000. Realising that the ban on thin plastic bags has not worked, the state government is making another attempt to ensure that plastic below 50 microns does not make its entry into everyday lives. The ban was implemented in 2005 after the July 26 floods wreaked havoc in the city. But the plastic menace continues, prompting the new proposal.
The target this time around are citizens who refuse to carry cloth bags while going shopping or prefer not to purchase thicker plastic as they are more expensive.
The fine of Rs 5,000which is now collected from a first-time defaulter such as a manufacturer, stockist, retailer, hawker or a restaurant ownerwill apply to the ordinary citizen as well.
WHAT THE LAW SAYS
WHAT THE LAW SAYS
The Maharashtra Plastic Carry Bags (Manufacture and Usage) Rules 2006 specify that the minimum thickness of carry bags made of virgin or recycled plastic be 50 microns and that the size should not be less than 8×12 inches