Lko struggles to curb plastic despite fines, seizures

Though the Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) has collected fines totalling about ₹12.22 lakh and seized 12,002 kilograms of banned single-use plastic across its eight zones, the city continues to struggle with rampant polythene use in the state capital.
The fine amount was collected between April this year and November 26.
The LMC’s weekly enforcement drives, held every second day of the week, are yet to make a significant impact as vendors and residents openly flout the ban imposed by the ministry of environment. Low quality polythene remains widely available, particularly in markets where tea stalls and small shops frequently use it despite the risks.
The environmental and health consequences are alarming. Plastic is the leading cause of clogged drains and nallahs, exacerbating sanitation issues in the city.
Additionally, vendors often use it to wrap food items, which endangers human health and poses severe risks to animals that inadvertently consume it.
Meanwhile, residents from various areas of the city have expressed concern about the inadequacy of LMC’s approach.
Mrityunjay Pandey, emphasised the need to address the root of the problem by targeting the transportation and manufacture of polythene. He suggested that stricter laws and higher fines could act as stronger deterrents.
According to a resident Vikas, the focus of LMC’s enforcement drives, limited to small vendors and overlooking larger supply chains that facilitate the circulation of banned polythene, needs to change completely for its drives to have any effect.
Responding to these concerns, Sanjeev Pradhan, LMC’s environment officer, stated that zonal in-charges have been directed to intensify the enforcement of the ban. He said the ban is imposed on single use plastic as it cannot be recycled which also creates threats to the environment, he said.
Another LMC official said that addressing polythene usage requires not only stricter enforcement but also collaboration between authorities, businesses, and the public.