VASCO
It should have been virtually impossible to have found people selling, using and even carrying non-biodegradable PET bottles and plastic carry bags within the port city.
What’s more, this prohibition of non-biodegradable PET bottles and plastic carry bags within Mormugao Municipal Council (MMC) limits, as notified by the State government under Section 5 of Environment (Protection) Act regarding plastics, should have been strictly enforced since October 2, 2002.
For the past 15 years, this prohibition has never been strictly enforced, but the newly appointed chief officer has now decided to enforce the notification after creating necessary awareness among the citizens in the port town.
In its notification, the government had said that “extensive use and indiscriminate disposal/littering of plastic bags and PET bottles (used to pack soft drinks and drinking water) have caused severe adverse environmental impacts involving blocking of waterways/drainage channels, adverse health effects on humans/animals, etc.”
The notification, “for strict enforcement from October 2, 2002”, was applied to parts of Panaji city, the area around Carambolim and Mayem lakes, Secretariat complex, South Goa collectorate, Goa University and the Old Goa heritage complex and the entire municipal limits of Mormugao Municipal Council (MMC).
The MMC chief officer had been directed to prohibit “the carrying, use and sale of non-biodegradable PET bottles and plastic carry bags for the jurisdiction under the MMC. The chief officer was even authorised to “impose a fine to the maximum extent of Rs 100 (later reduced to Rs 50) on any person violating the prohibition.”
After this notification was highlighted in The Goan, MMC Chief Officer Agnelo Fernandes said the council was bound to adhere to the law.
“I have already received complains that Vasco is flooding with plastic and I had made up my mind to delegate powers to municipal market inspectors to keep a strict check on the market and ban use of plastic carry bags so as to stop the plastic menace,” said Fernandes.
“Regarding PET bottles, there is no instrument to measure the microns, so I will take some cautious steps and go ahead.”
“I will not take a hasty decision, but make people aware of our intentions and give them a chance and later start fining through regular drives. This is a Central Act and we are bound by it and environment protection is our main agenda,” the chief officer said.
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“We are just selling our produce. People don’t come with bags and refuse to take stuff packed in paper. We can’t afford to give them expensive thick plastic bags for free and if we don’t oblige, our perishable goods will not be sold,” said a vendor on anonimity.
Another vendor selling water and soft drinks in PET bottles said they had no means or equipment to ascertain if PET bottles were biodegradable or not.
“We are selling branded drinks of companies who all have ISO certifications. How are we supposed to know what plastic they use? The government should check the authenticity of the PET bottles before it reaches us, if the MMC wants to implement the ban,” said the vendor on anonimity
