Blanket ban on plastic bags at malls, markets

State's latest proposal – where shopkeepers won't even be allowed to stock good quality plastic bags – comes after previous measures have failed to reduce usage

    The state government is all set to introduce even more stringent measures to curb the use of plastic across Maharashtra, one of them being a blanket ban on plastic bags at malls, markets, educational institutions, government offices, tourist and heritage spots and eco-fragile zones. 
    While this may not be a complete ban on plastic, the state's idea to target areas where plastic bags are used and sold the most is sure to drastically bring down their use. Another factor that will boost their effort is a proposal to fine individuals carrying really flimsy, non-recyclable plastic bags (or those weighing less than 50 microns). 
    On Thursday, a meeting regarding amendment the Maharashtra Non Bio-degradable Garbage (Control) Act of 2006 to introduce these new measures, was held at state environment minister Sanjay Deotale's office. "We had a discussion on how we could make the current regulations stronger," Deotale told Mumbai Mirror. 
    Theamendmentproposalislikely to be placed before the cabinet in the next fortnight. 
    The move comes on the heels of the BMC's recent decision to ban all plastic bags on their premises. That rule, officials in the civic body said, proved extremely effective. The state government has basically decided to adapt that plan on a bigger scale. "Therewillbeacompletebanonplastic in malls, so shoppers will have to carrytheirownbags–plasticorotherwise," a environment department officer told Mumbai Mirror. 
    A leading mall owner, however, said the State would find it hard to go through with their plan. "This ban willaffectmostshops.Wearesurethe plastic industry and retailers will appeal this ban," he said. 
    The first steps towards decreasing the use of plastic in Mumbai had come in the aftermath of the 2005 floods, when the then Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh had issued a complete ban on plastic bags (which had clogged the drains and escalated the crisis). 
    Soon after that ban, however, plastic-bag manufacturers met cabinet ministers and convinced them to dilute the ban. It was now alright to carry bags that weighed more than 50 microns (the sturdier ones that could be used more than once). 
    More recently, the union environment ministry came up with a directive asking shopping establishments to charge for plastic bags. 
    But none of these measures have made a big dent in the use of plastic, forcing environment department officers to propose these fresh measures. 
    "Apart from the ban at malls and other places where use of plastic is high, we are going to insist individual users are penalised. Hopefully, this will ensure people stop using flimsy plastic bags," an official said. 
    Environmentalist Rishi Agarwal said, "This is a commendable move, butauthoritiesmustdoeverythingin their power to enforce the ban."

A file photo of visitors leaving plastic bottles and bags at the entrance of the Byculla zoo, where a ban on plastic is in place

15-yr-old killer inspired by TV

Mumbai: Officers probing the abduction and murder of 8-yearold Dheeraj Pandit had to interrogate the accused—his cousin Gopal (15; name changed)—for several hours before the latter admitted to the crime.      "The accused told us he had watched six episodes of a popular crime show on TV, where he picked up the nuances of abduction. This is the second case in the Borivli-Kandivli belt where a juvenile became delinquent after getting influenced by TV crime shows. We intend to write a letter to the producers to filter content," said DCP Mahesh Patil.      Officers said Gopal cooked up stories when they asked him what he had been doing the day Dheeraj disappeared. The accused and his father stay next door to Dheeraj's family in Bheem Nagar, Gorai.      The boy's body was fished out of a nullah on Wednesday. Gopal said he strangled the boy with his necktie on Sunday, stored the body in a box and flung it into the nullah early on Monday.      "We had to use a different line of interrogation as the accused is very young and we couldn't be harsh with him. Our officers convinced him that they could make out whenever he lied. This made him slightly nervous. We then discussed his religious beliefs. Eventually he said he would speak to a couple of officers and wanted the other members of the investigating team to leave. He was also afraid of the way his relatives would react once the true facts emerged," said a senior police officer.      Gopal , a class-VII student in a convent school in Gorai, withdrew Rs 50,000 from his father's account over three months to fund his passion for making helicopter models and to splurge on friends. "We will go through his father's bank statements," said inspector Ravi Adane.      The police are trying to find witnesses. "The accused told us that a couple had passed by while he was flinging the gunny bag containing Dheeraj's body into the nullah. But when we questioned the couple, they said they hadn't paid much attention to what the accused had been up to," said an officer.  DISTURBING CRIME TREND  Cases of kidnap and murder involving accused who are  minors or young adults  AUG 2012 | Ganesh Sriram (20). His friends Kalpesh Saroj and Ravindra Yadav allegedly lured him from Mira Road to a forested area in Naigaon, clobbered him to death and then demanded a ransom of Rs 8 lakh from his father AUG 2007 | Adnan Patrawala (16). Five acquaintances, including a minor, allegedly strangled this son of an Oshiwara businessman in Navi Mumbai after their ransom ( 2 crore) plan went awry. Adnan's body was found in his car on Palm Beach Road, Vashi  JUNE 2007 | Parth Panchal (9). His 16-year-old neighbour strangled him in Dindoshi, wrapped the body in a plastic sheet and kept it locked in a cupboard for two days before it was discovered. The police said the accused was depressed because he had learnt he was an adopted child