The Times of India 21.03.2017
Coimbatore Corporation seizes 5 tonne of banned plastic bags
Komal Gautham | TNN | Updated: Mar 21, 2017, 07.23 PM IST
COIMBATORE: After almost six months, the Coimbatore Corporation again started cracking the whip on people selling plastic bags below 50 microns.
The civic body seized five tonne of banned plastic bags from wholesale shops in Thomas Street and Raja Street on Tuesday. The last time, the civic body conducted a raid was in 2016 when 500kg of banned plastic bags were seized from a shop at Sundarapuram in the south zone of the civic body.
According to the assistant city health officer Santhosh Kumar, officials received an information on Monday morning that banned plastic bags were being brought from Erode to godowns in Thomas Street and Raja Street. The sanitary workers in the area followed the trucks and kept the officials informed about their movement.
At around 10.30am, two trucks were stopped and five tonne of plastic was seized.
Two tonne of banned plastic bags were seized when they were being unloaded from a truck. Sanitary officers and inspectors were also present during the raid.
Santhosh Kumar said that according to the new solid waste management rules, 2016, plastics less than 50 microns are banned and should not be used.
Nearly eight small scale plastic bag manufacturers are functioning in Velandipalayam area in the city. Civic body officials visited them last week and conducted inspections.
"We found that all the manufacturers in the city are following rules. These banned plastics are coming into the city from the nearby districts such as Erode and Salem and some also from Kerala," said a sanitary inspector.
The civic body seized five tonne of banned plastic bags from wholesale shops in Thomas Street and Raja Street on Tuesday. The last time, the civic body conducted a raid was in 2016 when 500kg of banned plastic bags were seized from a shop at Sundarapuram in the south zone of the civic body.
According to the assistant city health officer Santhosh Kumar, officials received an information on Monday morning that banned plastic bags were being brought from Erode to godowns in Thomas Street and Raja Street. The sanitary workers in the area followed the trucks and kept the officials informed about their movement.
At around 10.30am, two trucks were stopped and five tonne of plastic was seized.
Two tonne of banned plastic bags were seized when they were being unloaded from a truck. Sanitary officers and inspectors were also present during the raid.
Santhosh Kumar said that according to the new solid waste management rules, 2016, plastics less than 50 microns are banned and should not be used.
Nearly eight small scale plastic bag manufacturers are functioning in Velandipalayam area in the city. Civic body officials visited them last week and conducted inspections.
"We found that all the manufacturers in the city are following rules. These banned plastics are coming into the city from the nearby districts such as Erode and Salem and some also from Kerala," said a sanitary inspector.
"We have been creating awareness on the alternative options available and have been urging the residents to stop the usage of plastics. We will soon stick posters in all the shops and grocery stores in the city. A workshop will also be conducted on March 25 and 26," said Santhosh Kumar. He added that the raids would continue.
The plastic bags seized will be used by the civic body to lay roads, and a portion of it will be handed over to cement companies located in and around the city.
