Mangaluru : The State government has banned the manufacture, transport, supply, sale and use of 12 plastic products in the State with immediate effect, but it will be implemented in Dakshina Kannada only from April 15.

The use of all types of plastic carry bags, banners, buntings, flex boards, flags, plates, cups, spoons, cling films, plastic sheets used for spreading on the dining table irrespective of thickness, and all the items made of thermocol and plastic will be banned.

The State government issued a gazette notification to this effect on March 11.

Speaking to presspersons after holding a meeting with the stakeholders on Friday, A.B. Ibrahim, Deputy Commissioner, said that plastic manufacturers should stop producing the banned products and clear the stocks by March 31. The wholesale traders should stop its supply and sale in a week from April 1. Retail traders and others should not use them from April 15.

In the meeting, initially the Deputy Commissioner said that plastic manufacturers would be given only a week to stop producing the banned products. But bowing to their pressure, he extended it till March 31. Rajashekara Puranik, Environmental Officer, Karnataka State Pollution Control Board said that according to the explanation in the notification, “plastic” also included polyamides (Nylon). Hence it applied to Nylon also.

The Deputy Commissioner said that some were selling “non-woven poly propylene” as an alternative to plastic carry bags. The ban applied to its manufacture, sale and use also. He said that he was directing all temples to stop using them.

Suresh Shetty, social worker, said that “non-woven poly propylene” bags flooded the market in the city, after the then Deputy Commissioner N.S. Channappa Gowda banned the use of plastic carry bags from November, 2012. Some plastic manufacturers and suppliers made people to believe that it was an alternative to plastic carry bags. In reality, it was not.

The Deputy Commissioner asked urban local bodies to promote use of cloth and jute bags in the district as an alternative to plastic.

P.I. Sreevidya, Chief Executive Officer, Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat, was present.