WB govt to promote innovation in plastic waste management

KOLKATA: Firhad Hakim, Minister for Urban Development and Mayor of Kolkata, on December 12, said that the violators of plastic ban norms will be penalised while, on the other hand, entrepreneurs will be encouraged to solve this plastic menace. As per the report published by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), in West Bengal, around 2 lakh tonnes of plastic waste remained unprocessed and was left to pollute the environment during 2019-20. As per the report, the state generated 3 lakh tonnes of plastic waste during the same period, out of which only 39,091 tonnes (13 per cent) were recycled and 60,047 tonnes (20 per cent), were burnt legally. The rest were either disposed of or burnt illegally.

The Plastic Management Act mandates that each local body must set up infrastructure for the collection, storage, segregation, transportation, processing and disposal of plastic waste. The act also specifies that an Individual has to pay a fine of `50, and the vendors will be fined `500 for using a plastic bag of less than 75 microns in thickness.

In terms of the quantity of illegally disposed of plastic waste, West Bengal stood in fifth place. Maharashtra tops the list with 2.9 lakh tonnes, followed by Tamil Nadu. Gujarat is third from the last, followed by Telangana in the category of “total plastic waste left” without treatment.

Ferozepur district clears 7,911 MT legacy waste

The Government of Punjab has informed that Ferozepur district in the state has cleared all of its legacy waste, amounting to 7,911 metric tonnes (MT). Dr Inderbir Singh Nijjar, Minister for Local Government, said, “The waste produced daily is sent to the materials recovery facility (MRF) and compost pits so that it can be recycled.” He later added that the local administration has achieved door-to-door segregation of around 85 per cent of all the household waste, and the remaining mixed waste is segregated daily and disposed of on the same day.