Three months after Mayor Jagat Bahadur Singh announced that ‘Thaila ATMs’ would be installed in Jabalpur from November to discourage plastic carry bag use, the promise remains unfulfilled. November is now drawing to a close, but the project has not moved beyond the discussion stage. When contacted the Mayor said some vendors were contacted earlier but were unable to place the machines. He said the process is now being revived and cloth bag ATMs are expected to be installed in a month or two.

 

The Mayor said that previous initiatives to promote cloth bags were well-intentioned but failed due to operational hurdles. He noted that once the proposal to make Jabalpur plastic carry bag-free was included in the budget, several agencies showed interest in partnering with the Municipal Corporation. He also said talks were in the final stage and installation of cloth bag dispensers was expected to begin in November. The deadline has now passed without visible progress. The delay has renewed scrutiny of the Jabalpur Municipal Corporation’s efforts to curb banned plastic bags. Despite repeated drives and awareness claims, the use of substandard plastic bags continues across markets, especially among fruit, vegetable and small shop vendors.

 

The city has struggled with follow-through in the past as well. The “Jabalpur Thaila Bank” launched at Bhawartal Garden, where citizens could exchange old clothes for cloth bags, had generated strong public response. It was planned for all 79 wards but faded due to lack of consistent monitoring. Meanwhile, cities like Indore have shown how simple innovations can work. Indore’s “Thaila ATMs,” where shoppers can obtain a cloth bag for few rupees, have offered a practical alternative to plastic and helped enforce the ban on single-use bags. With the state government repeatedly urging civic bodies to strengthen enforcement, residents and people work for environmental conservation say Sanskardhani needs concrete action, not another round of assurances. They said that workable models already exist and the city only needs to implement them with seriousness. As the Mayor’s November timeline expires without progress, people say the JMC administration must clarify the status of the project and outline the next steps to reduce Jabalpur’s growing plastic burden.