Mobile app launched to register plaints against single-use plastic
   Date :05-May-2022
 
single-use plastic
 
 
 
Staff Reporter
To increase public participation to curb the use of single-use plastic (SUP), the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has launched a mobile application for public, recently.
After downloading the application ‘SUP-CPCB’, people may lodge a complaint against those using, selling and manufacturing SUP.
CPCB also issued a QR Code in its website through which people can download automatically after scanning the code. Along with this, CPCB also launched a website — Compliance Monitoring of SUP for States and Urban Local Bodies (ULB). This website will help States and ULBs to upload status of SUP of their concerning jurisdiction. The website has formed to create a database and to monitor the implementation of ban on SUP all over the country.
Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has imposed a blanket ban on single-use plastic country-wide. Plastic items like ear buds, balloons, candy, ice-cream sticks, cutlery items like plates, cups, glasses, forks, spoons, knives, trays packaging or wrapping films like sweet box, invitation cards, cigarette
packets, plastic flags, PVC banners of below 100 microns etc. were banned last year and the complete ban will be imposed by end of 2022. “We are conducting regular inspection of stop selling/using SUP in city markets. We are imposing fines from Rs 5,000 to Rs 25,000 to offenders,” Gajendra Mahalle, Deputy Commissioner, Solid Waste Management Department told The Hitavada.
“We are uploading quarterly data of action taken against offenders, seized plastic, its disposal etc. to the national portal which was released by CPCB some time ago. We are conducting awareness campaigns for shopkeepers in the city and also for residents at different parts of the city,” said Mahalle.
According to Mahalle, the Nuisance Detection Squad (NDC) seized a total of 7,199 kg SUP from city markets in the Financial Year 2021-22 and collected a fine of Rs 39 lakh. Under the supervision of Municipal Commissioner Radhakrishnan B, teams of NDC conducted such operations from April 1, 2021 till March 31, 2022. NDC seized highest 3,233 kg SUP in January 2022. The civic body searched a total of 14,123 shops and registered 753 cases in 2021-22.