State-of-affairs of a monster called plastic

Awareness

Few months ago, when Mysore City Corporation authorities began appearing in newspapers after seizing plastic bags which didn’t adhere to the norms of ‘above 40 microns only’, greens perhaps heaved a sigh of relief.

With their consistent campaigning against the monster called plastic, the country had woken up to its ills and city, what with its heritage value, was not going to be left behind.
But, like it happens in most cases, and with most things the MCC sets out to do, brandishing the sword or an enthusiasm that’s close to the act, things turn into a whimper and even die a natural death.

Same happened with plastic bags too. The authorities raided shops in some prominent business areas in the city, like Shivarampet, Santhepet and surrounding places, to wave the seized bags in the air and ‘sweep the city clean’ of plastic stuff.

Plastic pile up

Then Dasara came. And, the authorities promptly moved on to do other ‘important’ things. City spewed thousands of plastic bags again, owing to tourist season. But, team photos were important. Hence, everyone made peace.

Now after plastic has gone into the back of beyond on everyone’s minds, the city is seeing slow creeping back of plastics. Only thing that has changed is, you need to pay some money for it.

At malls

Go to a mall or a shop, the person at the billing counter will ask if you have got your own bag to carry stuff.

Now, the spoilt us -- who are devoured malls and their shelves, buying stuff in carriers against other parents who bought only as much needed, once a month -- have well forgotten about carrying our own humble bags and sheepishly grin to say ‘no’.

She presses keys and adds up some amount to the total, charging you for a bag that will land straight into the waste basket.

Our bit for to mess up the environment has been done.

Envirommental Officer at Karnataka State Pollution Control Board says it is for the civic authorities to strictly implement the order. “On our part, we have ensured that the industries around the city don’t manufacture bags violating the set standards,” he says.

Blame game

But, it is for everyone to see the bags found in trash/garbage, in aplenty, are clearly violating the norm. Where are they coming from? According to sources, they are coming from outside the city and in some cases, even from other states.

“Checks need to be carried out by police to see if the vehicles are bringing these bags inside the city,” says Niranjan. As for the citizens, please insist with your shopkeeper that he doesn’t buy bags from such sources. Better still, carry your own bag.

It’s in, and it’s the most sensible thing to do, if not fashionable. After all, we have borrowed our times from our children.