Mumbai: The Gateway of India, Fashion Street, Girgaum Chowpatty and Linking Road are some of the major locations that have been identified by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to implement the plastic ban. The civic body has selected 25 public places, where it will install collection bins to collect banned plastic items.
“Following the state government’s directives to implement the plastic ban, the BMC in the first phase has decided to install these plastic collection bins at 25 locations. These bins will be in operation from Monday. We are also planning to install these bins in all municipal markets in the city. Their quantity will also be increased according to the necessity,” said deputy municipal commissioner Nidhi Choudhary.
Some of the major locations, identified for the installation of collection bins, include popular spots such as the Gateway of India, Fashion Street, Girgaum Chowpatty, Linking Road and Juhu Chowpatty.
The bins will be 4x5 feet in size and they have been coloured black for easy identification. “Citizens can deposit plastic items in these bins to ensure effective implementation of plastic ban,” said a senior civic official.
However, civic activists have called for more sustained efforts from the BMC for making the plastic ban successful. “There should be a comprehensive public awareness campaign enlightening people about the hazards of plastic. In addition to this, cloth or paper bags should also be made available as an alternative to plastic bags,” said civic activist Nikhil Desai.
The state government on March 23 had issued a notification that banned the manufacture, use, storage, distribution, sale, import and transportation of all kinds of plastic items. The ban covers a wide range of articles made of plastic and thermocol, including, bags, dishes, cups, glasses, bowls, forks, spoon, straw, containers, small PET bottles and decoration items.
