Corporation officials seize 5 tonnes of banned plastic covers

Five tonnes of banned plastic covers seized in Madurai, leading to fines and repurposing for cement factories and road works.

 About five tonnes of banned plastic covers was seized from a truck near Yannaikal in Madurai city on Tuesday. Based on information about the transportation of plastic covers, corporation officials made vehicle checks at Yannaikal.  

While checking a vehicle, they found plastic covers weighing about five tonnes. In further investigation, officials learned that the covers were below 20 microns which were officially banned by Tamil Nadu government. 

“As the State government had banned the production and usage of plastic covers below 20 microns in 2021, possession of those plastic covers itself is an offence,” said H. Alavudeen, sanitary inspector of ward 49. 

Further, he said that the covers which were seized would cost around ₹5 lakh. Following the confiscation, the plastic covers were surrendered to the Corporation Commissioner. They covers would be repurposed to be used in cement factories or road-laying works.  

“The transport manager is slapped with a fine of ₹50,000 for booking and transporting the banned material. In the initial stage of investigation, it is found that the covers were manufactured at a factory in Erode district,” he noted.  

As the officials in Erode district were informed about the factory, further actions would be initiated against the manufacturer also, Mr. Alavudeen said. 

Action would be initiated against the person who booked the plastic covers from Erode to Madurai, he noted.