Growing menace of single use plastic Time to think out of the box
|
Plastic pollution and it should be obvious that the Government would have to think out of the box to tackle the issue at hand. The seizure of at least 30,000 Kgs of single use plastic carry bags from a godown at Nilakuthi is an indication that the Government would need to look beyond the exercise of raiding some shops at Paona Keithel and Thangal Keithel. It should also be obvious that plastic carry bags are here to stay and the most practical approach would be for the Government to see how its use can be controlled or some sort of a mechanism be worked out to control its usage. Total ban may just not work, for the fact is, plastic carry bags are highly convenient and they come for free to the shoppers. The Government should also study how such a huge consignment of plastic carry bags was found in a godown. More than apparent that the single use plastic carry bags could not have been transported on a single day. Or if they were, then how did the vehicle manage to make its way through the numerous check posts set up on the National Highways, particularly along the Imphal-Dimapur stretch of National Highway-2. It was just some days back that truckers went on the war path against the assault of a driver along the said stretch and a compromise was worked out only after the State police agreed to do away with all unauthorised check posts. More than an indication that the State police was aware of the unauthorised check posts which had sprung up along the stretch of the said highway. A telling commentary that as much as 30,000 Kgs of single use plastic carry bags managed to dodge the numerous police check posts, including the unauthorised ones and herein lies a tale of how steps taken up to implement the decision of the Government have been reduced to a sort of a joke. Not by anyone but by the very set of people who are supposed to be working on the side of the law. The trader involved in storing the plastic carry bags will be penalised, no doubt about that, but what about those who made it possible for the plastic bags to come all the way to Imphal along the National Highway and then to the godown at Nilakuthi ? Something, somewhere is terribly wrong and the Government will have to admit to its shortcomings. Cut off the supply chain. This should have been the first priority while going about with the business of banning single use plastic carry bags in the State. That such a step was not even given a thought can be known by the seizure of plastic bags weighing as much as 30,000 Kgs. One can imagine the number of plastic carry bags needed to make up 30,000 Kgs. The failure of the Government on all fronts rings out loud and clear.
The seizure was a good job. No doubt about it, but this leaves wide open the question, ‘30,000 Kgs have been seized, but how many more would have made their way to the end users, the public, the daily shoppers ?’ And how many of them have been dumped in the roadside nullahs and the waterways ? Astonishing it is, that after being at the receiving end of the plastic menace so many times in the recent and not sop recent past, the Government still does not seem to have worked out any way on how to deal with the situation. In the first place, it should be admitted that a complete ban on single use plastic carry bag would not be possible. In such a scenario what is the best way forward ? Try and see how the use of such bags can be regulated. As said and repeated many times in this column, the Government should get down to the business of seriously mulling over the idea of monetising the use of plastic carry bags. Fix a price on each plastic carry bags. Let any shopper who comes without a shopping bag pay Rs 30/40/50 more to get a plastic carry bag to carry her day’s shopping. Let her pay Rs 30/40/50 more if she wants the dressed chicken packed in a plastic carry bag. The same should go while buying a Kg of dressed fish or pork or a Kg of tomato and potato. Impose hefty fines on anyone found littering the place with plastic wastes. Rope in the service of leikai clubs to do this and let the clubs keep the fines collected. The Government needs to think out of the box.
The seizure was a good job. No doubt about it, but this leaves wide open the question, ‘30,000 Kgs have been seized, but how many more would have made their way to the end users, the public, the daily shoppers ?’ And how many of them have been dumped in the roadside nullahs and the waterways ? Astonishing it is, that after being at the receiving end of the plastic menace so many times in the recent and not sop recent past, the Government still does not seem to have worked out any way on how to deal with the situation. In the first place, it should be admitted that a complete ban on single use plastic carry bag would not be possible. In such a scenario what is the best way forward ? Try and see how the use of such bags can be regulated. As said and repeated many times in this column, the Government should get down to the business of seriously mulling over the idea of monetising the use of plastic carry bags. Fix a price on each plastic carry bags. Let any shopper who comes without a shopping bag pay Rs 30/40/50 more to get a plastic carry bag to carry her day’s shopping. Let her pay Rs 30/40/50 more if she wants the dressed chicken packed in a plastic carry bag. The same should go while buying a Kg of dressed fish or pork or a Kg of tomato and potato. Impose hefty fines on anyone found littering the place with plastic wastes. Rope in the service of leikai clubs to do this and let the clubs keep the fines collected. The Government needs to think out of the box.