NEWS

After banning use of plastic bags by the shopkeepers, the Delhi Government is planning to impose a similar restriction on 100-bedded hospitals to eliminate plastic from their premises. “There are several hospitals, including Government-run and public owned, in the city where plastic bags are used despite the Government's January notification banning their use,” a senior environment department official said. He added that in order to create awareness about their ill effects, posters would be pasted on bus stops and other public places so that people voluntarily discard plastic bags which create health and environmental hazards. The official said proper implementation of rules and their subsequent monitoring was needed, if the menace of plastic bags was to be eliminated. Though the Government had assigned powers to medical health officials, food and licensing officials and district magistrates to register cases, they were yet to provide the details of their action on the issue, the DPCC official added. The Delhi Degradable Plastic Bag (Manufacture, Sale and Usage) and Garbage (Control) Act 2000, which was amended in 2005, states that four and five star hotels, hospitals with 100 beds or more, restaurants with seating arrangement of 100 and more, Mother Dairy outlets, liquor vends and shopping malls will only use degradable plastic bags. Violators may be booked under Environment Protection Act, 1986. The punishment envisages imprisonment up to 5 years and/or fine up to Rs one lakh.