Plastic ban not an elastic ban, applies to all: BMC

Even as the civic administration asserted that first-time plastic ban violators among the common public will not be spared the hefty Rs 5,000 fine which only doubles and more than trebles for the second and third offences, the civic continued its crackdown on shops in Ghatkopar and Chembur on the second day after single-use plastic items were outlawed in the state. Special squads visited over 867 establishments on Sunday, found that 72 shops were breaching the ban, and collected Rs 3,35,000 in fines from them.

"So hardly 10 per cent of the shops still had banned plastic on the premises," said Nidhi Chaudhary, deputy municipal commissioner (special). She said the authority seized around 592 kilogram of banned plastic on Sunday.

"We are concentrating on big shops, suppliers and traders from where plastic starts circulating among the people. If they stop, the common public will not have it," said Chaudhary, adding that the common people will be slapped with the fines and even a jail term for repeat offences.

"The state government's decision applies to everyone from shopkeepers to common people," said Chaudhary.

Of the total 72 offenders, 67 paid a Rs 5,000 fine each, while five refused to fork it out. "We have registered a case against these five shops and now they will be prosecuted in the court," said Chaudhary. The total collection from Sunday stood roughly at Rs 3,35,000, she added.

The squad lauded Shivalaya shopping centre in Chembur after finding that none of the shops there breached the ban. "It is encouraging that all 80 shops at the centre have complied with the ban," said Chaudhary.

At some inspections sites, spats broke out between the civic officials and resistant shopkeepers over the cash penalty and plastic use. "These instances are expected. But people need to understand that the law has been formed by the state government and everyone has to comply. The BMC is only the implementing body," said Chaudhary.

On day one, the BMC had inspected Phoenix Mall in Lower Parel and fined 11 shops. "There was some confusion on day one about implementing the ban but we have sent out a strong message to everyone now," said Chaudhary.