Udupi : A team from the Udupi City Municipal Council raided shops at three different locations and seized 195 kg of banned plastic material here on Wednesday.

Municipal Commissioner Anand Kallolikar told that the municipal staff team led by him had raided shops at the APMC Yard, the Flower Market and a wholesale shop near the KSRTC Bus Stand.

Banned plastic items, including carry bags, were seized from these shops. The raids follow public announcements through autorickshaws across the city for the last week.

The biggest haul of banned plastic items weighing about 150 kg was from a wholesale shop near the KSRTC Bus Stand, while about five kilogram of plastic was seized from the shops at the Flower Market, while the rest was seized from the shops at the APMC Yard, Mr. Kallolikar said.

This drive against banned plastic items by the municipality would go on in the city till October 2. Mr. Kallolikar said that the municipality was serious about implementing the ban on plastic. The CMC will seize banned plastic items till October 2.

“But after October 2, we will start imposing fines. If shops were found selling plastic after October 2, we will impose a fine of Rs. 1,000 for the first offence and Rs. 2,000 for the second offence. If the shopkeeper is caught selling the banned plastic the third time, his trade licence would be cancelled. The drive against plastic will be a continuous process,” Mr. Kallolikar said.