Bengaluru: If sources are to be believed, then Karnataka is heading towards banning plastic by end of January, irrespective of the thickness of the plastic.

While the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board is still due to chalk out a plan for the implementation of the ban, meetings are being held with regard and this time, there might be a blanket ban, irrespective of the thickness of the bags.

The draft notification is before the Cabinet for approval.

As per Deccan Herald, it has been vetted by the Department of Forest, Environment and Ecology and there has been no dilution in it. Once the government issues the order, the ban will be enforced with immediate effect.

The biggest challenge for the state would be putting and end to the plastic that comes into the state through tourists etc. This will be an impossible task to accomplish and this is something that the government is pondering over.

The government had issued a draft notification on October 28, 2015, to ban plastic. People were given 30 days to give feedback and suggestions about the ban. Most of the public responses asked how the ban will be enforced in Bengaluru and across Karnataka, when various departments have been unable to restrict the entry of plastic into Lalbagh Botanical Garden, Cubbon Park and Bannerghatta Biological Park.

The draft notification proposed that no one shall use plastic carry bags, banners, buntings, flex boards, plastic flags, plastic plates, plastic cups and plastic sheets — irrespective of their thickness — to serve food at functions.

No industry or person shall manufacture, supply, store, transport, sell and distribute plastic in Karnataka.

The export of plastic carry bags and their use in nurseries, dairy industry, health sector and any other sector for non-consumption are, however, exempted.