Plastic ban has poor history in Thiruvananthapuram

Thiruvananthapuram: The people of Thiruvananthapuram have witnessed a ban on plastic coming into effect, and failing miserably. As the city heads towards another ban, which comes into effect on July 1, there can be no better time to understand what went wrong.

The earlier ban, which came into effect on September 1, 2007, was the result of a 2006 cabinet decision. It was not a blanket ban, and had stipulated that only plastic carry bags above 30 microns should be used. As per the plan, offenders – the shops which distribute them – were to pay a nominal fine.

The fine would go up from Rs 5,000 to Rs 25,000 should the offence be repeated. Shop licenses of repeat offenders were supposed to be cancelled.
Kerala was the second state in the country to have introduced such a ban, the first being Maharashtra in the aftermath of the July 2005 Mumbai floods.

Initially, the plan worked. Thanal Executive Director Usha S says, “I remember regular raids conducted in Thiruvananthapuram to enforce the ban. However interest waned with time.” She says that it was difficult to gauge thickness, as 30 microns was too less.

But it was not just the weakened intent of authorities that led to the ban’s failure. Manufacturers of plastic and traders had challenged the ban in the court.

Their argument was that even if small-scale manufacturers in the state complied with the ban, the large-scale manufacturers outside the state were ready to distribute thin plastic bags.

Thomas Pius, the Association’s central zone President, says, “Roadside vendors don’t even charge for the cover. They buy in bulk. So, when the Kerala government increased VAT from 5 to 20 per cent they started to buy it from Tamil Nadu. The government’s decision only harmed the small scale manufacturers here.”