GUWAHATI, May 15 � The Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) will soon issue notification prohibiting distribution of plastic carry bags free of cost to the customers within Guwahati Municipal area.
�Minimum price of carry bags depending upon their quality and size will be charged as and when the notification is issued by the Corporation,� an official statement said.
The Corporation has appealed the public and traders at large to comply with the direction, failing which appropriate action will be taken against those found responsible.
Further, the GMC, vide an order, stated that no person will indulge in the sale or use of plastic cups and plates or similar other products and also refrain from using thermocol for packaging food products like fish, vegetables, ice etc, or deposit the same at any public place or street or drain or water body within Guwahati Municipal area after three weeks of issue of this order.
�Further, all concerned are directed to strictly comply with the rules of the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2011 as notified in the Gazette of India Extra-ordinary so far as manufacture, stocking, distribution, sale and use of carry bags and sachets, marking and registration is concerned,� the GMC order stated.
The order was passed after it was noted that the drains of the City are clogged with plastics/plastic products and thermocol used as disposable cups, plates, carry bags and packaging products resulting in obstruction to the normal flow of water in the drains and further leading to major cause of artificial floods in the City apart from being a health hazard.
