'PCBA took no action against 15 erring plastic units'

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, August 4: Plastic carry bags of thickness less than 40 microns are being used in Guwahati openly despite a standing ban on such use by the district administration. In its backdrop as many as 15 plastic manufacturing/recycling units are doing a roaring business with the Pollution Control Board, Assam (PCBA) playing the role of a mute spectator.

This is one of the numerous areas where the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India finding the State pollution control board on the wrong foot. The CAG report was tabled in the State Assembly recently.

‘Plastic’ means a material which contains as an essential ingredient a high polymer and which at some stage in its processing into finished products can be shaped by flow. ‘Plastic waste’ means any plastic products such as carry bags, pouches or multilayered plastic pouch or sachet etc., which have been discarded after use or after their intended life is over.

According to Rule 5 of the Plastic Waste (Magement and Handling) Rules, 2011, no person shall manufacture, stock, distribute or sell any carry bag made of virgin or recycled or composite plastic which is less than 40 microns in thickness. Also according to Rule 9 © of the Plastic Waste Rules, no person shall  manufacture plastic carry bags etc., without obtaining registration certificates from the PCBA prior to the commencement of its production. Rule 6 © of the Plastic Rules says that the Municipal Authority shall be responsible for the setting up, operatiolization and coordition of the waste magement system such as safe collection, storage, segregation, transportation, processing and disposal of plastic waste, setting up of collection centres for plastic waste involving manufacturers, ensuring its channelization to recyclers and creating awareness among all stakeholders about their responsibilities.

Section 15 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 says that whoever fails to comply with any provisions of the Act or the rules made thereunder, shall in respect of each failure, be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to five years or with fine which may extend to Rs 1 lakh or with both, and in case the failure continues, with additiol fines which may extend to Rs 5,000 everyday. The CAG report said: “The Guwahati Development Department had banned (June 2012) sale of plastic carry bags of less than 40 microns of thickness. However, the plastic carry bags of less than 40 microns were sold/used openly despite the ban. The district administration had not taken any follow-up action on the ban. The CAG report said: “There were 15 unregistered plastic manufacturing/ recycling units. The PCBA had not taken any action against the defaulters under the Environment Protection Act, 1986. “GMC had not set up any proper segregation system and as a result of which plastic were mixed up with the municipal solid waste (MSW) and transported to dumping sites at Boragaon, Guwahati. Further, neither was there any recycling plant set up in Guwahati, nor was any awareness campaign carried out by the GMC.”