The Hindu Business Line : Maharashtra to take more time to study ban on plastic bags

THE Maharashtra Government will take more time to deliberate on the ban on plastic bags. Thursday was the last day for receiving objections and suggestions from the public on the ban. The Government was to issue its order thereafter.

However, according to sources in the State's Environment Department, the process will take time, as over 4,000 objections and suggestions had been received at the Secretariat alone. Responses from the districts were yet to arrive at the Department.

The sources also said the Department was creating a database of all the objections and suggestions. The task was incomplete. Only after the completion of this task would the Department brief the Cabinet after which a decision would be taken.

The Maharashtra Government's order seeking objections and suggestions on the ban was issued on September 14, 2005. The order said the Government had decided to declare the entire State a `plastic bag-free area.' The decision to ban plastic bags was taken by the Government on August 24.

`Blanket ban unlikely': Speaking to Business Line, Mr Harpal Singh, President, All India Plastic Manufacturers Association, said the Maharashtra Government would not go for a blanket ban on plastic bags. The ban would be micron-specific, for which the plastic industry was ready to cooperate.

"We have always been advocating a ban on plastic bags below 20 microns and if the need be we will brand bags which are above 20 microns for better identification" Mr Singh said.

Maharashtra has 900 plastic manufacturing industrial units. The ban will directly affect 25,000 people employed with the industry.

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