Being an environmentalist myself I am not against the plastic ban, but it has not solved the problem completely as restaurants and small time retailers are now either using foil or other products, which are non-biodegradable, as substitutes.
They cannot be blamed because everybody wants to thrive in the city, which has grown remarkably both economically and socially over the years. This sudden ban not only hits the livelihood of people working in the plastic industry but also fails to resolve the problem at hand.
The government should have instead introduced the plastic ban in phases and not outright as it has done now. We see not just thin plastic covers in garbage, but also boxes, pitchers, stationery, buckets and so on made from plastic, which have become a part of life in the city, with everyone using them.
Look at the office population which depends on the tiffin system and needs it at odd hours. So the sudden ban hits the daily functioning of so many, not forgetting the livelihoods of thousands as well.
Clearly, the ban on plastic has been introduced without understanding the issue fully and considering the impact it could have on thousands of families. The legislation for such a ban should have been brought in step by step.
In the meanwhile technological solutions could have been provided to the plastic industry and it could have been helped with funding and research to work on substitutes that are eco-friendly. Because, to survive it will have to come up with something and may once again resort to manufacturing non-biodegradable material in the absence of such guidance.
(The writer is a well known filmmaker and environmentalist)
