The Raipur Municipal Corporation (RMC) will enforce a complete ban on plastic bags having thickness below 40 microns. The ban will be in place from 15 May.
Earlier, the corporation had announced to implement the order with effect from 1 May. But the Chhattisgarh Chamber of Commerce and Industry urged the authorities to extend the time for 15 days.
The chamber’s request came in wake of huge stock of plastic bags dumped with traders. During the period of 15 days, traders had tried to dispose off the stock.
“We have agreed to the demand of chamber and the ban will now come into effect from 15 May,” Raipur Mayor Kiranmoyee Nayak said. The ban on use of plastic bags below 40 microns thickness had been imposed in accordance with the notification of the Union government, she added.
The corporation would crack down on all shops and vendors in its jurisdiction using plastic bags below 40 microns. It would also launch an awareness campaign to educate the public about the ill-effects of using plastic bags.
Traders said that they would stop selling plastic bags with effect from 15 May.
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About 50 traders had been selling plastic bags in the state capital limits while about 20 manufacturers are associated with its production.
“We would also launch a campaign to aware the people about the harm of using plastic bags,” Amar Dhavana, plastic bags traders’ association president, said.