Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI: Single-use plastic is nevertheless widely used in the city irrespective of attempts by the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) and the Pollution Control Board, Assam (PCBA) to put a ban on it.
In an effort to reduce plastic waste and ensure the preservation of the environment, the GMC and PCBA declared a ban on single-use plastics, starting June 1, 2022. However, different kinds of plastic are still in use almost one year later, suggesting that the prohibition had little effect. Plastic food wrappers, straws, stirrers, chip packets, mugs, and tumblers are just a few of the products that are still widely available in the market, despite the restriction on specific plastic items like carry bags. These things that are still in use add to the city's expanding plastic trash issue.
One of the street vendors in Ganeshguri said, "We have to provide the customers with plastic bags for carrying the purchased items because they don't bring carry bags with them. If we don't provide them with plastic bags, then they won't buy from us. Also, we cannot give bad-quality plastic to them; it should be of good quality so that the bags don't tear while carrying the goods. In this way, plastic bags are still in use in the markets. Moreover, the customers are ready to pay for the carry bags in shopping malls, but if we ask them for money in return for the plastic bags, then they won't give us a penny."
The Guwahati Mayor said, "In Guwahati, plastic items can only be made of biodegradable materials. To make sure the rules are followed, Pollution Control Board representatives go with us whenever we perform raids."
However, the locals contend that these raids are not carried out regularly enough by the GMC to discourage store owners from carrying prohibited plastic items.
One of the residents of Beltola said, "We have not seen the GMC come and monitor the use of plastics during the weekly Beltola bazaar. They do not conduct the regular surveys. The ban that we are talking about is not followed by anyone. People openly throw plastic items into the drains, due to which the drains are clogged. Since it is the responsibility of the GMC to monitor this, they should properly conduct regular checks and properly ban the use of plastics."
The concerning amounts of plastic waste in Guwahati are a clear indication of ineffective enforcement. About 20 percent of the city's total solid trash was made up of plastic waste as of February 2024, when about 120 tonnes were produced every day. According to ENVIRON research, Guwahati generated almost 37 tonnes of plastic waste per day in 2018, an overwhelming increase.
Also Read: Time to bid farewell to plastic bags: Embracing a sustainable future (sentinelassam.com)
Also watch: