Delhi government to impose ban on plastic bags

New Delhi: The Delhi government has decided to impose a blanket ban on the manufacture, storage and usage of plastic bags in the capital."Any kind of plastic will be banned now, whether it is thin or thick. However, the ban has not been imposed on woven plastics," Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said after a cabinet meeting Tuesday.The use of plastic to pack magazines, invitation and greeting cards will also be prohibited once the order is notified."Plastic bags choke drains and spoil the environment," said Dikshit.She said that the penalty for using plastic bags will be decided by the industries department and Delhi Pollution Control Board.[caption id="attachment_452007" align="alignleft" width="380"] Getty Images[/caption]A government document states that "no person, including a shopkeeper, vendor, wholesaler, retailer, trader and hawker, shall sell or store or use any kind of plastic carry bag for storing or dispensing eatables or non-eatable goods or materials".A government official said that the notification shall not affect the use of plastic carry bags as specified under the Bio-Medical Waste Management and Handling Rules, 1998.Earlier, the manufacture, stocking, distributing or selling of carry-bags made of virgin, recycled or compostable plastic less than 40 microns in thickness was banned.IANS