Delhi Monitors Compliance to Blanket Ban on Polybags

In a move to go green and reduce the amount of plastic wastes in the city the Delhi government approved a new blanket ban on the use, manufacture and sale of Polybags in November 2012 as written in the Environment Protection Act 1986. According to the law, violations would result to up to 5 years of imprisonment or a fine of up to one lakh rupee. The blanket ban was initially focused on plastic Polybags while focus on plastic packaging and plastic materials would be done later.

This decision to impose a blanket ban on the use of Polybags was undertaken at the Cabinet meeting presided over by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit. This ban came a day after the government decided to ban gutkha products in Delhi. The ban not only covered Polybags it also covers the use of plastic pouches used to wrap magazines cards and other materials.

A previous ban on the use of plastics was enforced by the Delhi local government back in 2009 which was imposed upon shop owners and malls around the city. However this ban did not produce the desired result. With this new initiative the Delhi government is strengthening its resolve to reduce the manufacture and sale as well as use of plastic in order to reduce plastic wastes which are often seen littering Delhi's streets and clogging its waterways.

Significance of the Ban
With the blanket ban no person in Delhi will be allowed to use carry Polybags made of recycled or compostable plastic and no sellers and shopkeepers will be allowed to sell store or use plastic bags. No person is also allowed to use plastic wrapping for books or magazines and greeting cards.

Monitoring Efforts
On December 9, 2012 the Delhi government launched a campaign to check on the city's conformity to the blanket ban on plastic bags. This was done by 25 teams from the Delhi Environmental Department who checked shopping malls markets and shops and even 5-star hotels in Delhi for their compliance to the blanket ban. The initial check revealed that 100 shops violated the ban and they will therefore face the legal consequences of fine or imprisonment or both.