Citizen groups do reality check on plastic ban in HSR Layout

A day after the January 15 deadline set by the citizen groups in HSR Layout to rid the area of plastic, the members of the RWA, in association with Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), on Saturday undertook a drive to check if implementation was in place.

Members of HSR Layout Sector 1 Resident Welfare Association (RWA), Sector 2 RWA, Hasiru Mithra and BBMP inspected about 74 shops and commercial establishments at the BDA Shopping Complex and on 27th Main, Sector 1.

Out of them about 29 shops have stopped using plastic and instead opted for paper bags and other viable options. The volunteers and the Palike in two groups carried out a reality check, that lasted from 10 am till 5.30 pm.

“We decided to carry out our drive on 27th Main as the area has many commercial establishments. Each team had close to 25-30 volunteers and we are happy with the response to the ban from the traders. We will carry out an inspection on Monday again, this time, at 24th Main and  19th Main at HSR Layout,” said Kavitha Reddy, a member of Hasiru Dala.

She added that they have been conducting awareness programmes from January 3 and a meeting was also held between shopkeepers, the BBMP officials and the citizens a week ago wherein the traders were told to put a curb on the use of plastic.

BBMP Joint Commissioner for Bommanahalli Zone Muniraju said that about 2,700 kg of plastic materials was recovered on Saturday and fines were slapped on the traders who violated the rules. Around Rs 1.47 lakh was collected as fine from the traders for violating the ban order on plastic, the joint commissioner added.