MPCB shuts down 16 banned plastic manufacturing units - Hindustan Times
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MPCB shuts down 16 banned plastic manufacturing units

Hindustan Times, Pune | ByShrinivas Deshpande
Oct 10, 2018 05:51 PM IST

The state government had given three months’ period (from March 23 to June 23) to dispose of plastic bags and materials in use. According to the notification, the plastic manufacturing units have to ensure that plastic is recycled and they cannot make products from banned plastic.

Maharashtra pollution control board (MPCB) has forced 16 large-scale banned plastic manufacturing units to shut down in Pune, Satara and Sangli over the last six months, after the state government’s ban on plastic products on March 23.

Maharashtra Pollution Control Board MPCB office in Pune.(Ravindra Joshi/HT PHOTO)
Maharashtra Pollution Control Board MPCB office in Pune.(Ravindra Joshi/HT PHOTO)

The state government had issued the Maharashtra plastic and thermocol products (manufacture, usage, sale, transport, handling and storage) notification, 2018 on March 23.

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“According to the state government’s decision, we had issued directives to companies not to produce items from banned plastic. We then inspected 133 manufacturing units, out of which we shut down 16. We had issued closure notices to these units earlier,” said HD Gandhe, regional officer, MPCB, Pune. 

The state government had given three months’ period (from March 23 to June 23) to dispose of plastic bags and materials in use. According to the notification, the plastic manufacturing units have to ensure that plastic is recycled and they cannot make products from banned plastic.

MPCB has conducted inspection on various plastic manufacturing units in western Maharashtra in the last six months.

Harish Jalan, president of Thermocol plastic sajavat sanghatana, Pune, said, “Civic and MPCB officers have wrongly implemented the ban order. The government has given permission to use plastic and thermocol for packaging purposes. However, the authorities are implementing ban strictly and are including packaging thermocol and plastic. We have invested a lot of money in this business and a large number of people are dependent on this industry. We are not sure as to what we should do now?”

The manufacturers and distributors have decided to meet and decide on the next course of action. The date of the meeting is yet to be finalised. All manufacturers and distributors have called for a meeting to sort out this issue and the date is yet to be finalised.

Immediately after the ban, the units located in Pune and Mumbai metropolitan region have been fined Rs 5,000 each as an offence for continuing to manufacture plastic bags. MPCB in association with various state government departments, police and civic bodies has initiated strict action to implement plastic ban effectively.

In the last week of September, MPCB has advised municipal corporations to install CCTV cameras at various locations in the city to avoid use and transportation of banned plastic products. MPCB has collected close to 85 tonnes of banned plastic items and Rs 19.75 lakh as fine till October 6. On October 5, MPCB collected 1.5 tonnes of banned plastic and plastic products in a raid conducted in Lonavla region.

On October 9, MPCB Pune inspected 63 industrial and commercial establishments in Pimpri-Chinchwad and found five establishments violating plastic ban norms. The authorities seized around 8 tonnes of banned plastic products and collected Rs 30,000 as fine.

Five firms shut down

Sonankur Exports Private Limited, Pune-Solapur highway

Jani Candies and Toffees Pvt Ltd,Keshav Nagar Mundhwa.

Chloride Metals Ltd, Markal

JBM Ma Automotive Chakan

Sakshi Batteries Shikrapur

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