Navi Mumbai is stepping up its battle against plastic pollution with a bold enforcement drive that has already raked in significant fines and confiscated a substantial amount of single-use plastics. On Sunday, when market activity typically peaks due to the public holiday, officials across all eight municipal divisions executed a coordinated crackdown that resulted in ₹1.65 lakh in fines and the seizure of 71.6 kg of banned plastic products. Led by Municipal Commissioner Dr. Kailas Shinde, this aggressive campaign underscores the city’s commitment to curbing environmental degradation by encouraging citizens to adopt eco-friendly alternatives.
Since Sundays witnessed a market activity surge, the civic body strategically executed its crackdown on the same day, covering all eight municipal divisions. The drive resulted in the collection of Rs1.65 lakh in fines and the seizure of 71.6 kg of plastic bags and single-use plastics. The highest amount of plastic was confiscated in the Turbhe division, where 25 kg of plastic bags and other banned items were found, leading to a fine of Rs 10,000 against two vendors.
In the Belapur division, plastic bags were found with eight vendors, each fined Rs 5,000, totaling Rs 40,000, and six kilograms of plastic was seized. The Nerul and Vashi divisions recorded fines of Rs30,000 each, with 10 kg and 12 kg of plastic confiscated, respectively. Koparkhairane saw Rs 15,000 in fines collected from three vendors, while in Ghansoli, Rs 20,000 in fines were imposed on four violators, and nine kilograms of plastic were seized. Airoli and Digha divisions also contributed to the total with fines of Rs 10,000 each and the seizure of plastic stock.
Under the guidance of Municipal Commissioner Dr. Kailas Shinde, the civic body is actively promoting the use of cloth bags while taking strict action against violators. The campaign aims to minimize the environmental and health hazards caused by plastic waste by conducting awareness programs alongside enforcement measures.
The NMMC has made it clear that such enforcement drives will continue regularly to reinforce the ban on single-use plastics. The campaign not only penalizes violators but also serves as an awareness initiative, urging citizens to adopt environmentally friendly alternatives and contribute to a cleaner, plastic-free city.
