BMC seeks help to execute plastic ban

Mumbai: For the implementation of plastic ban, the Brihanmumbai

Municipal Corporation (BMC) has sought help from several private organisations for providing an effective alternative to banned plastic.

The civic body has called upon non-government organisations, women’s self help groups, traders and companies to participate in its drive against plastic.

According to civic officials, the BMC has organised a mega three-day exhibition and sale in the second week of May for the promotion of non-plastic items. It has invited these organisations to participate in the exhibition.

“To implement plastic ban, we are in search of products, which would provide alternatives to plastic. The products may be in the form of cloth, paper, wood and other natural derivatives. The aim behind holding the exhibition is to ensure that alternative products are available in adequate numbers when the ban becomes operational from June 23,” said a senior civic official.

The BMC has asked these organisations to register with the civic body for taking part in the exhibition. It has provided a phone number (8291652979), as well as an email id acplanning.plastic@gmail.com for this.

More than 150 organisations have showed their interest about participating in the exhibition. Majority of them are women’s self help groups, said civic officials. In addition to this, companies, which recycle plastic items, have also contacted the BMC for the exhibition, they said.

Civic activists have said that BMC should provide alternatives to plastic bags for the effective implementation of ban. “Cloth, paper or jute bags should also be made available as an alternative to plastic bags,” said civic activist Nikhil Desai.