CR give manufacturers till May 29 to pitch green plan

MUMBAI: The Central Railway (CR) is seeking to vigorously implement the state government’s plastic ban, and has given a May 29 deadline to manufacturers providing edibles to stalls on suburban railway platforms to submit as to what alternative material they plan to use to wrap the edibles.

The CR on Wednesday held a meeting with manufacturers, including those selling packaged water.

According to a senior CR official who was part of the meeting, “We asked them to give us in black and white their plan for disposal of plastic containers and buying back of plastic bottles?”

The senior official said that the CR will not allow stall owners to sell food items wrapped in plastic after June 10. The stall owners will also not be allowed to purchase plastic bottles after June 12. The instructions will be communicated to stall owners regarding the deadline for the plastic ban. Officials of the commercial department of CR will inspect stalls at railway stations soon after June 21. If they find foot items wrapped in banned plastic, they will ask the wholesalers to take back the products from the stalls.

Officials said, “The senior divisional commercial manager will himself visit the stalls at railway stations after June 21 to inspect whether or not the plastic ban has been implemented in letter and spirit.”

Additional division railway manager Vidyadhar Malegaonkar said, “We held a meeting with approved manufacturers of packaged drinking water and other items supplied to catering units of the Mumbai division of CR. We have requested them to cooperate with us in implementing the ban on use of plastic.”