Office of the Orissa State Pollution Control Board and (below) people shop with polythene carry bags in Bhubaneswar. Pictures by Ashwinee PatiBibhuti Barik

Bhubaneswar, June 2: Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) is planning to restrict the use of polythene in the city by strictly enforcing a new law on its use, notified by the Union ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) on February 7.

The new Plastic Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011, has replaced the earlier Recycled Plastics Manufacturer and Usage Rules, 1999 (amended in 2003), and has made the municipal authorities responsible for set up, operation and coordination of the waste management system relating to plastic wastes to keep the urban environment safe.

As a preliminary measure, BMC authorities will publish a public notification to make people aware of the new rules. According to the MoEF notification, polythene to be used as carry bags should be thicker than 40mm. This will not only help in easy recycling of polythene, but would also stop pollution in many other ways.

S.P. Samantaroy, environmental scientist of the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB), said: “Polythene materials with thickness below 40mm were causing serious problems for the civic authority by choking various small and big drains, and even the natural drainage channels. With minimum thickness of usable polythene changing from 20mm to 40mm, it will be easier for the civic authorities to keep the city clean. But the civic authority should be ensuring proper enforcement of the rule, as it has categorically defined their role as the implementing authority.’’

Apart from choking of drains and wastewater disposal outlets, polythene materials were also causing digestive disorder and even death for pet animals such as cows. The inner layer of packing in gutkha packets contain carcinogenic chemicals that cause mouth cancer. “We have already asked the gutkha manufacturers to use paper in stead of polythene as inner layer of packets. However, the role of the civic body is also important here as they have to implement the new rule,’’ she said, adding “the secretary of the housing and urban development department has been designated as the chairman of the state-level advisory board to oversee the enforcement of the Plastic Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011.’’

BMC commissioner Vishal Kumar Dev said: “Polythene bags create serious problems by choking drains across the city. However, after the enforcement of new thickness for polythene packets, segregation will be easier while disposing of and managing solid waste.’’

The SPCB scientist added that for the first time, the rule had made provisions with the recognition of the role of waste pickers. “The new rules require the municipal authority to constructively engage agencies and groups working in waste management, including the waste pickers,’’ she added.

Jasaswini Mohapatra, a homemaker from Ganganagar, said: “Complete ban on the use of polythene carry bags is impractical and undesirable. However, the specification on thickness is a welcome step. Still, if polythene materials are not recycled properly after the change in thickness, there will be no benefit from the new rule.’’

The city now generates more than 450 metric tonnes of solid waste, out of which 40 per cent is polythene-based materials. But in the absence of a segregation facility and solid waste treatment plant, the Bhuasuni dumping yard is used as a temporary site.