Cuttack, July 31: Shopkeepers and vendors, who give polythene carry bags while selling commodities to customers, will have to register with the civic body and pay plastic waste management fee from tomorrow.

"Big shops will have to pay Rs 1 lakh and small traders or vendors Rs 50,000 per annum as pre-registration fees from August 1 onwards in the city, as part of implementation of the Centre's Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016," municipal commissioner Gyana Das told The Telegraph today.

The rules further provided that retailers or street vendors shall not sell or provide commodities to consumers in carry bags, plastic sheet or multi-layered packaging, which are not manufactured and labelled or marked. Those who would flout the norm, shall be liable to pay fines, as specified by the civic bodies.

However, there will be option for payment of monthly registration fee of around Rs 8,333 by big shops and Rs 4,166 by the small shops. The 2016 rules, notified by the Union ministry of environment, forests and climate change, provides for registration on payment of plastic waste management fee of minimum Rs 48,000 at Rs 4,000 per month, while giving the civic body the liberty to prescribe higher plastic waste management fee, depending on the capacity of production or sale.

On the other hand, the Cuttack Municipal Corporation has decided to impose a fine of Rs 500 on shopkeepers and vendors on first instance of violation and Rs 1,000 on second such instance, the municipal commissioner said.

"Only the registered shopkeepers or vendors shall be eligible to provide the plastic carry bags to customers." Das said. They are expected to prominently display that plastic carry bags are given on payment.

"We have issued a public notice. Special squads have been formed to start a drive for ensuring collection of the registration fee from tomorrow," he said.

"We welcome the civic body's new rule and expect that it will be a deterrent to use of polythene carry bags and make people cautious. It is unfortunate that a ban on use of polythene has made little headway in the state till now," Cuttack Chamber of Commerce joint secretary Srikanta Sahoo said.

The state government had imposed a ban on "sell, import or sore non-biodegradable polythene carry bag (less than 20 microns)" with effect from January 24, 2004. Orissa High Court had ordered a ban on use of recycled polythene bags in the state on April 24, 2008. The municipal corporation had banned polythene in the city through a notification on August 18, 2011.

"But, the civic body is expected to take more steps to make both traders and people aware of the new rule," Sahoo said.

"The ban could not be implemented in all these years as it is evident from the use of plastic carry bags by a large number of shopkeepers, especially vegetable sellers as well as the common sight of garbage in polythene bags that choke drains across the city," said Bidanasi resident Satyajit Roy.

According to official estimates, the annual collection of polythene bags is around three lakh tonnes. A civic official said: "Earlier, carry bags of over 20 microns were allowed to be given free to consumers. Now, as part of the implementation of the central government rule, nobody will be allowed to give plastic carry bags below 50 microns, and charge for them."

"But, much will depend on the manner, in which the civic body implements it," said social activist Pravat Ranjan Dash.

The civic body is expected to utilise the funds collected in the form of pre-registration fee for waste management system within its jurisdiction.