Thiruvananthapuram: Plastic ban raids face resistance

Thiruvananthapuram: The raids organised by the officials of Thiruvananthapuram corporation to enforce the ban on plastic carry bags faced resistance from a section of trades in the city on Thursday. It is learnt that a leading retail shop on MG Road refused to cooperate with the corporation squad. Sources in the corporation said the trader resisted the officials when they tried to seize plastic bags, especially non-woven polypropylene bags. The officials forced their way through and seized carry bags weighing over 200 kilos from the shop, they said. “Non-woven polypropylene was banned way before the recent ban and it is hard to believe that the shopkeepers don’t know about it,” an official says.

Office bearers of Kerala Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samithi, Kerala Vyapari Vyavasayi Samithi and Kerala Plastic Dealers’ Association had met on the day before the ban came into effect to devise protest strategies. Pointing out that the central government has banned only plastic under 51 micron thickness, KVVES district council member Mohammed Siddique said that there is lack of clarity regarding the kind of plastic that is banned. “Officials seized disposable cups and plates from a supermarket on the first day of the ban,” he said. “We don’t know whether the ban is on plastic carry bags, thermocol or plastic bags for grocery items.” KVVES district president Peringammala Ramachandran said that shops in Puthenchantha street were shut on Thursday in protest.