Mumbai: Carrying a thin plastic bag could soon cost you Rs 5,000. Realising that the ban on thin plastic bags has not worked, the state government is making another attempt to ensure that plastic below 50 microns does not make its entry into everyday lives. The ban was implemented in 2005 after the July 26 floods wreaked havoc in the city. But the plastic menace continues, prompting the new proposal.
The target this time around are citizens who refuse to carry cloth bags while going shopping or prefer not to purchase thicker plastic as they are more expensive. The fine of Rs 5,000—which is now collected from a first-time defaulter such as a manufacturer, stockist, retailer, hawker or a restaurant owner—will apply to the ordinary citizen as well.
WHAT THE LAW SAYS
The Maharashtra Plastic Carry Bags (Manufacture and Usage) Rules 2006 specify that the minimum thickness of carry bags made of virgin or recycled plastic be 50 microns and that the size should not be less than 8x12 inches
A plastic bag less than 50 microns in size is lighter, flies easily and creates problems
It was the chief reason for the choking of drains in Mumbai on July 26, 2005
Being lighter, the littered bags do not motivate ragpickers to collect them since they have no value
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