GOVERNMENT OF ANDHRA PRADESH

ABSTRACT
Municipal Administration & Urban Development Department - Phasing out of
plastic carry bags Recycled Plastics manufacture and usage Rules, 1999 under
Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 Strict enforcement of rules -District Level
Taskforce Committee Constituted Certain guidelines Orders Issued.
MUNICIPAL ADMINISTRATION & URBAN DEVELOPMENT (F2)
DEPARTMENT
G.O. Ms. No.158
1.
2.

Dated: 04-04- 2006

Read the following:

G.O. Ms. No. 25, EF & ST (Env.) Department, dated 30-3-2001.

G.O. Ms. No. 128 MA & UD (F2) Department dated 18-3-2006.

O R D E R:
1.

2.

Discarded plastics pose a threat to human health and environment. Due to

its non-biodegradable nature, littering of plastics causes irreversible
damage to the environment. Plastic wastes hinder the natural aeration
process of the surface water bodies, choke municipal sewer lines and
storm water drains and clog the bar-screens of sewage treatment plants.
They interfere with various agricultural operations, prevent natural
recharge of underground water and contribute to visual pollution.
Consuming food wrapped in coloured plastic has adverse effects on health.
Municipalities/Municipal Corporations routinely receive reports of death of
cows and other animals from ingesting plastic bags.
In the G.O. issued vide ref. 1st above, orders have been issued, among
others, banning manufacture, sale and use of recycled and coloured
plastic carry bags less than 20 microns in thickness in the state and
levying penalties for violation under Environment Protection Act, 1986.
The Member Secretary, Andhra Pradesh State Pollution Control Board, shall
be the authority for enforcement of the provisions of the rules related to
manufacturing and recycling of plastics less than 20 microns in thickness.
The District Collector of the concerned district and the Municipal
Commissioner of the concerned Municipality/Corporation shall be the
authority for enforcement of the provisions of these rules related to the
use, collection, segregation, transportation and disposal of plastic carry
bags and containers. They are also required to enforce the provision of the
rules pertaining to thickness and marking of carry bags being used by the
vendors.

3.

In the G.O. issued vide ref. 2nd above, orders have been issued to
constitute District Level Taskforce Committee to organize special drives
for enforcing the ban on plastic carry bags.

4.

After detailed discussions and on the observation and directions given by

the Honble High Court of Andhra Pradesh, Government felt necessary to
have wider representation of officials and non-officials in the District Level
Taskforce Committee to effectively organize, supervise and monitor the
enforcement of the rules in the reference above cited. Government
therefore in supersession of the orders issued in the G.O. 2 nd read above,
hereby constitute the District Level Task Force Committee with the
following members:

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

Two Sarpanchas of Gram Panchayats abutting

Urban Local Bodies

Two representatives of NGOs of concerned

District

1
0
1
1
5.

District Collector
Chairpersons/Mayors of concerned Municipality/
Municipal Corporations in the District
Commissioners of Municipalities/Municipal
Corporations in the District
General Manger. District Industries Centre
Regional Officer, A.P. Pollution Control Board
District Supply Officer
District Panchayat Officer

Chairman
Members
Member
Member
Member
Member
Member
Members nominated
by the concerned
District Collector.
Members nominated
by the concerned
District Collector.

District National Green Corps Convener

Member

Commissioner of Municipality/ Municipal

Corporation at District Headquarter

Member convener

The Committee shall meet once in a month. The committee shall constitute the
sub taskforces and cover the whole district jurisdiction i.e. Urban and Rural
areas for strict enforcement of Recycled Plastic Manufacture and Usage Rules
1999 as follows: A. The District Level Taskforce Committee shall ensure destruction of
existing plastics bags of less than 20 microns in thickness available with
the manufacturers, wholesalers, dealers, retailers, supermarkets,
pharmaceutical industries, others etc. with immediate effect.
B. Manufacturers of recycled plastic carry bags having printing facilities
shall code/mark carry bags and containers as per Bureau of Indian
Standards Specification: IS: 14534:1998 entitled "The Guidelines for
Recycling of Plastics" and the end product made out of recycled plastics
shall be marked as "recycled" along with the indication of the percentage
of use of recycled material. Manufacturers shall print on each packet of
carry bags as to whether these are made of "recycled material" or of
"virgin plastic". The plastic manufacturers shall stop production of the
plastic bags less than 20 microns from both virgin plastic as well as
recycled plastics with immediate effect. The plastic manufacturers shall
print on the carry bags (a) Name of the manufacturer with full address (b)
Lot Number, (c) Thickness of the carry bag (d) percentage of recycled
plastic use.
C. The District Level Taskforce Committee shall organize inspections/surprise
raids of all the plastic carry bags/containers manufacturers in the District
by Sub-Taskforces and take action as per Rule 8 (a) of G.O. Ms. No. 25,
EFS
&
T
department
dated
30-3-2001 and submit the report as per Annexure-I to the Member
Secretary, Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board by 2nd of every month.
D. There shall be a total ban on the sale and usage of plastic carry bag less
than 20 microns in thickness in all shops/traders, establishments,
hospitals, medical shops, hotels, religious worship places (storing and
carrying the prasadam) food courts, vegetable markets, meat shops
(chicken, mutton, beef, pork, and fish stalls (including marine and inland
eatable products)), pan shops, Bar & Restaurants, dairies and where the
food stuffs either in case of raw or cooked are sold. Sub-taskforces will
inspect all such Traders/Establishments and take action as per Rule 8 (b)
of G.O. Ms. No. 25, EFS & T Department dated 30-3-2001 and submit the
monthly report as per Annexure-II to the Commissioner and Director of
Municipal Administration by 2nd of every month.

E.

The District level Taskforce committee shall ensure to prohibit the

throwing or disposing off the plastic articles in public places. The persons
found throwing plastic articles namely water bottles, cool drink bottles,
plastic containers etc. should be penalized under Rule 8 (c) of the G.O.
Ms.
No.
25,
EFS
&
T
Department
dated
30-3-2001.

F.

The District level Taskforce committee shall also expedite the provisions
under Solid Waste Management notification of 2000 duly taking
immediate action on segregation at source (duly adopting two bin system
in all wards), door to door collection, transportation and disposal of
Biodegradable and non-biodegradable solid waste in a time bound
manner. The apartments, group housing colonies should be insisted to
segregate the domestic plastics waste from other domestic garbage
before dumping them in waste collection centers and also create
awareness programmes in the public as well as Shopkeepers, Vegetable
Market Owners, Vegetable Vendors, Fruit Vendors, Chicken & Meat stalls,
Supermarkets, Medical Shops and others etc. and submit the monthly
report as per Annexure-III to the Commissioner and Director of Municipal
Administration by 2nd of every month.

G. The District level Taskforce committee shall organize public awareness

campaigns about the hazards and dangers of using plastic and recycled
plastic carry bags and littering public places , on environment and health
of human beings, and also the penalty provisions of the rules, through
cinema exhibit slides, electronic media etc. They should also conduct
awareness programmes on segregation of bio-degradable and non biodegradable wastes at source, Double Bin Culture, waste management
and disposal etc. and submit the monthly report as per Annexure-IV to
Commissioner and Director of Municipal Administration by 2 nd of every
month.
The Municipal Commissioner of District Headquarter Municipality/
Corporation shall coordinate and furnish the above reports to the Member
Secretary, Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board and Commissioner and
Director of Municipal Administration by 2 nd of every month. In turn, the Member
Secretary Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board and Commissioner and
Director of Municipal Administration shall furnish the consolidated report along
with their remarks to the Government in Environment Forests and Science &
Technology Department and Municipal Administration & Urban Development
Department respectively by 5th of every month.
(BY ORDER AND IN THE NAME OF THE GOVERNOR OF ANDHRA PRADESH)
VEENA ISH
SECRETARY TO GOVERNMENT
To
The Commissioner & Director of Municipal Administration, Andhra Pradesh,
Hyderabad,
The Member Secretary, Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board, Hyderabad,
All the District Collectors,
All the Commissioners of Municipal Corporations,
All the Commissioners of Municipalities through Commissioner & Director of
Municipal Administration, Hyderabad,
All the Members of the Committee through District Collectors,
The Director, Directorate of National Green Crops, Hyderabad.
Copy to:
Environment Forests Science & Technology Department,
Panchayat Raj & Rural Development Department,
Industries & Commerce Department,
Consumer Affairs, Food & Civil Supplies Department,
The Director of Civil Supplies, Andhra Pradesh Hyderabad.

//FORWARDED BY ORDER//
SECTION OFFICER