Kolkata: Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has directed the hawkers to stop using plastic for covering their stalls and use tin sheds instead. The food vendors will have to mandatorily keep bins or baskets and ensure that the customers drop their plates there after having their food. and desist from littering.
"The food vendors will be held liable, if food plates are found scattered here and there. They have to ensure customers dump the plates after having food in bins and if a customer does not do so, it will be the responsibility of the vendor to do the same. If they flout the directive, no excuse will be considered and we will not allow further running of the stall," Hakim said after the monthly meeting of KMC on Saturday.
The issue of food plates lying in kerb channel on the roads was raised by Jui Biswas, councilor of ward 81, who is also the chairman of Borough X of KMC.
The Mayor said that he has recently held a meeting with Kolkata Police and asked them to be strict against hawkers using plastic. "I have discussed the matter with the Chief Minister and she has directed that there should be tin sheds over the hawkers' stall and they can use a big umbrella or similar thing to cover their stall as a prevention from rain or sun.
There have been more than one instances when plastics have fanned a fire. In January 2019, a massive fire had gutted 29 stalls near the Gariahat crossing.
Kolkata Municipal Corporation in collaboration with Kolkata Police had held a drive across the city urging hawkers to remove plastic from their stalls.
Initially, the hawker abided by the instructions but after some time the plastics returned.
"The rainy season has already set in, so we are allowing some more time. But after the monsoon, we will strengthen our drive against use of plastic by hawkers and will not allow them to use the same," Debasish Kumar, Member Mayor-in-Council who is looking after the hawker issue said.
There are at least 32615 registered hawkers in Kolkata and the hawker vending committee has already been constituted which holds its meeting every month.