Strict ban on plastic can reduce garbage problem, says Palike

The State government’s decision to ban all kinds of plastic has instilled a sense of relief in Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) officials who say the City’s garbage problem can be solved to a great extent if the proscription is enforced strictly.

Not just that, the ban will also lead to improvement in the health of municipal workers and the people at large, BBMP health officers say.

Municipal workers who clear garbage are exposed to health problems such as skin ailments, breast cancer, etc, according to Dr A Siddappaji, the Palike’s east zone health officer.

 “Plastic contains a lot of chemicals and since municipal workers’ job involves dealing with garbage, they often suffer from skin irritation, respiratory problems, cancer and related health problems. Their health can improve if plastics stops entering landfill sites and people stop using them.”

Most of the plastic reaches Bengaluru’s shops and plastic dealers from outside Karnataka and the government should deploy policemen at inter-state border checkposts to check the inflow, he added. “If that is taken care of, the civic agency can easily enforce the ban,” Siddappaji said.

The ban will also help in clearing the City’s choked stormwater drains (SWDs), said Mayor B N Manjunath Reddy.

 “Most of the SWDs are choked today as plastic is thrown into them. Clearing these drains is one of the major challenges before us. The ban will help us a lot,” he said. 

The mayor sought co-operation from other government departments.
 “I have spoken to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and he is serious about enforcing the ban,” he said.