Bengaluru was one of the first cities in the country to introduce a plastic ban, one that got the BBMP much praise. Other cities followed, banning plastic and imposing fines on those who use them. And Bengaluru, with civic officials who are all talk and no action, is now streets behind the rest. BBMP's only weapon is a fine but without providing access to affordable, eco-friendly alternatives, a plastic ban is of no use. Raids are also farcical events, reportedly fraught with bribes to officials. A new app will make photographs of seized plastics mandatory during raids, but the Palike's poor track record leaves little room for optimism,
reports Aknisree Karthik
Bengaluru was among the first cities in the country to ban plastics. The ban, imposed in 2016, was hailed by environmental experts and citizens alike. Solid waste management experts like Mr Ramakanth and Mr Ramprasad, who had been pushing the BBMP for a ban on plastics for years, welcomed the move also but were wise enough to know that its success lay solely in its implementation.
Turns out they were right all along. Plastics remain very much in use in Bengaluru, while cities like Chennai, which joined the bandwagon only on Jan 1 2019, are streets ahead of us now. They realised, early on, that the ban will work only if punitive measures work in tandem with the availability of eco-friendly alternatives and slapped hefty fines on both manufacturers and consumers if they flouted the rules. In Chennai, a consumer caught using plastic is fined Rs 500 on the spot and the penalty will double if he / she is caught a second time. Manufacturers, traders and even small vendors are made to pay up, too.
Bengaluru, on the other hand, is still dragging its feet when it comes to levying fines on people using banned plastics. And citizens are not entirely to blame, considering the lack of eco-friendly choices. So, the BBMP, without the ability to provide sustainable alternatives or impose suitable penalties, has issued a toothless ban.
Only those who are conscious of the consequences of plastic use have shifted to eco-friendly alternatives on their own. “When we head to the meat shop, we take vessels to bring the meat back home. But we are a minority there. Hundreds of people who visit meat shops are given mean in plastic covers,” says Vignesh, a techie and resident of Chamrajpet.
Vignesh even confronted the owner of his local butcher’s shop for using banned plastic bangs. “Even the meat shop owner wants to stop using banned plastics but what choice does he have, if people don’t want to carry vessels from home either,” Vignesh says, recalling the conversation with the owner. Naturally, the butcher, who doesn’t want to lose customers, is forced to continue stocking plastic bags. “It is a vicious cycle and the BBMP needs a more holistic approach,” he adds.
In Tamil Nadu, meat is now sold in baskets made from palm leaves, or wrapped in a banana leaf. BBMP offers no such choices but continues to issue heavy penalties on offenders,” Vignesh says. When DC Spoke to traders at K.R. Market, they offered much the same lament – the absence of eco-friendly, affordable alternatives. With their meagre daily profits, they cannot afford to lose business by turning away customers who don’t bring their own bags.
“If we tell a customer that we don’t have a plastic bag, they go to another vendor bag who will provide them with one. When we think of the environment, we lose customers,” says Muniyappa, a fruit vendor at K.R. Market.
A BBMP official said that the banned plastics are entering the market despite their raids in industrial areas like Peenya, closing down the plastic manufacturing units.
“As per the information we have, banned plastics are reaching the city from regions like Kumbalgudu and the outskirts. BBMP does not have the power to close such units as they do not fall under BBMP limits” he explained.
'Raids useless if officials can be bribed'
In a classic example of the fence eating the crop, much of the blame lies with lower rung BBMP officials, who are responsible for implementing the ban on ground.
“It is not true that we do not carry out raids,” a BBMP official said, refuting the claim. “We carry out raids. But lower rung officials are bribed to misquote the amount of plastic seized.”
He said that when BBMP raids a shopping mall, cafe or hotel, officials are supposed to check the amount and different types of banned plastics that are in use. Fines will be levied in proportion with the misdemeanour. However, lower rung officials simply fudge the numbers and the unit owner gets away with paying a smaller amount. This way, the fear of a raid has been reduced too and the full impact of the ban is lost.”
Why isn’t this being addressed? The official says plans for a mobile app are underway, to keep track of raids being conducted, penalties and information on the banned plastics seized. With the app, the official conducting the raid needs to take photos of the banned plastics, the amount being used and the fine collected. “There will be less room for them to misquote,” the official explained.
As for slapping spot fines, the official simply said that it requires a political push, too.
Guest Column: ‘Notices and resolutions won’t get us anywhere, we need implementation’
Ram Prasad
In 2018, the theme for World Environmental Day was Beat Plastic Pollution. It led to more awareness on the matter as well as the introduction of plastic bans and the implementation of existing rules. BBMP has played a vocal part in this, issuing notices and guidelines for the banning of single-use disposables. However, when it comes to implementation on-ground, there is a wide chasm between the BBMP’s official stance and what actually takes place – it’s glaringly obvious that the BBMP has not taken the matter seriously.
Plastic bags below 40micron and other single-use disposables are very common in Bengaluru. This is despite claims of polythene bag making units being forced to shut down. That means plastics are entering the city through illegal polythene bag production units or are brought in from neighbouring states that share the BBMP’s lackadaisical view of administration.
The ideal world, a world without plastics, can be achieved, for there are active citizen groups that can be the eyes and ears of the BBMP. However, this can only take place if the political and bureaucratic fraternities are on the same page. They need want to do more than merely serving notices or passing resolutions in council meetings, which do not bring in a change.
The seriousness of implementation has to be seen on ground, not on paper, documents or PPTs. World Environment Day 2019 has rolled around, with a new theme – Air Pollution, which is also a critical matter here in Bengaluru. However, that should not be our excuse to simply forget about the plastic ban.
