Minister of State for Home Affairs
Kiren Rijiju informed the Rajya Sabha on Thursday that there is no proposal to
ban manufacture and use of plastic bags, but the Government is open to the idea
of having a legislation to end use of such materials.
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| Representational Picture : Plastic carry bag |
"The government
has no proposal to ban manufacture and use of plastic bags in the country.
However, the manufacture, sale, stocking and use of plastic carry bags of less
than 40 micron in thickness is prohibited," he said.
The Minister however, agreed to a
suggestion made by Sharad Yadav of the JD-U for bringing in a legislation to
put an end to use of plastic bags.
"It's a good suggestion and we will take it into consideration,"
he said, replying to Yadav.
The JD-U leader suggested that use of
plastic bags should be dealt with strictly and if required units manufacturing
such bags should be closed down.
Rijiju admitted that lack of provisions
to stop manufacturing of plastic bags was also coming in the way of putting a
check on their use. He said the Government was promoting
the use of alternative materials such as jute and paper bags.
Sanjay Raut of the Shiv Sena suggested
that though plastic industry generates huge employment and business turnover,
usage of bags made out of such material should be banned.
“The environmental
impact of plastic waste has been examined by various committees in the past.
The reports of such committees indicate that plastic bags, if not collected
systematically, choke drains and create unhygienic conditions and deteriorate
soil quality,”
Rijiju said.
Municipal authorities are authorised to
collect, transport and dispose of plastic waste. "The states of Sikkim, Nagaland, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh,
Tripura, Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi and Union territories of Andaman
and Nicobar Islands, Lakshwadeep and Chandigarh have banned use of plastic carry
bags in their states," Rijiju said
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