AGARTALA: The Tripura government has intensified its surveillance to prevent entry, sale and use of single-use plastic carry bags in the state.
Notably, production, sale and use of single-use plastic carry bags were reportedly banned in India last month.
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According to reports, Tripura has been generating about 20 metric tonne of plastic waste every day.
The Tripura government is finding it difficult to manage disposal of such high quantity of non-degradable single-use plastic waste.
The Tripura government, notably, has prepared a plan to manage non-degradable wastes.
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Reportedly, there are plans that states – waste will be segregated at the source and re-check at the ward-level secondary segregation centres across Agartala city.
However, this plan is, reportedly, yet to be implemented by the Tripura government.
Intensifying its surveillance, the Tripura government has directed the authorities stationed at Akhaura integrated check-post (ICP) along the Bangladesh border and Churaibari inter-state check-post (ISCP) along the Assam border to tighten the surveillance on single-use plastic carry bags.
Tripura reportedly has stopped manufacturing single-use plastic in the state.
Tripura secretary of science and technology – Pradip Chakraborty informed that the administration has been raiding markets regularly to seized stocked single-use plastic carry bags.
However, traders groups and civil society organisations in Tripura have criticised the government for allegedly banning single-use plastic carry bags.
They argued: “The decision was immature and half-hearted. Single-use plastic doesn’t comprise only carry bags.”
“Gomati Milk Producers Union, a government undertaking, has been selling milk products in plastic packets. Branded edibles and cosmetics are wrapped with single used plastic. Medicines and maximum household items are made of plastic. But the government is not concern about those hazards and menace. The policy should address the issues and bring easily available user-friendly substitutes of single-use plastic before enforcing such a law,” said a merchant association member.