Chennai: The State government on Wednesday has proposed to impose a fine of upto Rs. one lakh on those violating the ban on plastics in Tamil Nadu.
Aiming to make sure the ban on use of single-use plastic, which came into force from this January 1, will help the government achieve its goal of a plastic-free Tamil Nadu, the government introduced a bill to impose harsh penalties for using the banned plastics.
Introducing the bill in the Assembly Municipal Administration Minister S. P. Velumani said the Tamil Nadu Panchayats (Second Amendment) Act, 2019 penalties for storage, supply, transport, sale and distribution of use and throw plastics, the highest amount of fine for third time offence will be Rs. one lakh.
A penalty of Rs 25,000 and Rs 50,000 would be imposed on the first and second time offenders. The government also proposes to levy fines for large, small vendors, commercial complexes and grocery shops, ranging from about Rs 500 to Rs 25,000 for a third time offence. The move, would facilitate the creation of an environment-friendly Tamil Nadu.
The ban on the use of 14 types of plastics, including carry bags, was announced on World Environment Day last year by Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami and it excluded milk, curd, oil sachets and medical equipments.
Meanwhile, the forest officials in Tamil Nadu who participated in a cleanliness drive in the Gulf of Mannar on Feb. 12, removed plastic waste. Media report said the initiative was launched following the plastics ban imposed by the State government. The participants were trained in scuba diving. The initiative assumes significance considering the importance of the Mannar Gulf which is a vital marine ecosystem that includes coral reefs, salt marshes, algae communities, mangroves, and seagrasses.
