The Thane Municipal Corporation has intensified enforcement of the Thane plastic ban, inspecting 214 establishments across markets and commercial areas in October, seizing 30 kg of prohibited plastic and collecting Rs 69,100 in fines from violators.
The campaign was launched on the directions of Municipal Commissioner Saurabh Rao and targeted establishments, street vendors and other premises identified as contributing to uncleanliness in the city. The action focused on banned plastic bags and other single-use plastic products.
During the inspections, civic officials confiscated 30 kg of prohibited plastic and imposed fines on those found violating plastic-use regulations. The municipal corporation did not specify the number of establishments fined or provide a location-wise breakdown of the penalties in the information available.
The enforcement operation involved deputy chief sanitation inspectors, sanitation inspectors, officials from the pollution control and encroachment departments, supervisory staff and sanitation workers. The coordination between these departments allowed civic teams to inspect commercial areas and take punitive action against establishments found using banned plastic products.
The TMC has appealed to citizens, traders, commercial establishment owners and street vendors to stop using banned plastic bags, plastic spoons and other single-use plastic items. It has asked them to shift to cloth bags and other environment-friendly alternatives.
The civic body has also urged residents to cooperate with the campaign and dispose of waste responsibly. Its appeal comes as municipal enforcement links plastic use not only to regulatory violations but also to broader cleanliness concerns in markets and public areas.
The campaign also follows concerns about the impact of discarded plastic on animals and urban sanitation. In a separate appeal reported by Mid-Day, Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde urged residents not to leave food wrapped in plastic on roads after a cow reportedly underwent surgery to remove 40–50 kg of plastic from its stomach. The mayor made the appeal during the inauguration of a two-day free veterinary surgery camp in Ghatkopar on October 21.
The Thane drive places responsibility for reducing plastic waste on multiple groups, including consumers, traders, vendors and commercial establishments. It also highlights the administrative challenge of enforcing plastic restrictions across busy markets, where the civic body must combine inspections, departmental coordination, seizure action and penalties.
The TMC’s pollution control department said inspections and enforcement action against the use of banned plastic would continue regularly.
