Siliguri, June 26: The Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) has decided to fight plastic and parthenium.

The civic body will impose fine on those who use plastic carry bags of less than 40 microns from July 1. It has also asked the residents to clear their vacant land of parthenium plants, failing which they would be penalised.

Mukul Sengupta, the member mayor-in-council (conservancy) of the SMC, told reporters here this afternoon that the move on plastic use was a sequel to a directive received from the Bengal environment department.

He added that use of plastic carry bags measuring 12/10 inches and with a thickness below 40 microns had been banned in the SMC area and the fine would be Rs 50 for individuals and Rs 500 for shop owners.

The West Bengal Pollution Control Board that comes under environment department had issued a ban on plastics in Darjeeling district under which Siliguri falls.

When asked why the SMC was taking such a long time to implement the order received on February 18, Sengupta said the delay was on account of recently held elections to 13 added wards of the SMC and the time taken for campaigns to create awareness on plastic ban among the people.

But, though the conservancy department had earlier announced a slew of programmes as part of the awareness drive, apart from a few advertisements in some local newspapers and a channel, no massive campaigns were conducted.

The member-mayor-in-council said the SMC had bought five micro metres with which sanitary inspectors of the civic body would visit different markets to see whether any shop was violating the ban.

The SMC is also going to slap fine on people who do not clear their vacant land of parthenium plants, which can cause asthma and heart diseases, and garbage.

“We have noticed that unwanted weeds are growing on unused land in the Siliguri municipal area and the owners have never uprooted them,” said Sengupta.

The member mayor-in-council said if people did not clear their plots of poisonous plants and garbage by July 15, fine would be slapped on them.