Special Enforcement Team to be set up in Mysuru to implement ban on single use plastic
A Special Enforcement Team will be constituted to enforce the single-use plastic ban in Mysuru. | Photo Credit: SRIRAM MA
The Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) has mandated the formation of a special enforcement team (SET) for Mysuru for effective implementation of the single-use plastic (SUP) ban in the city and surrounding areas.
A decision to this effect was taken in the last week of September and although the Board asked the implementation team to be present during the Dasara, the notification came much later, when the Dasara was already opened.
KSPCB stated that a District level Working Group chaired by the Deputy Commissioner already exists, but it is not functioning effectively and SUP ban violations continue to be reported from various parts of the district.
The issue was discussed and discussed at the 255th board meeting held in September, and it was decided to establish a SET in order to ensure the effective implementation of the SUP ban declared within the scope of the 2016 Plastic Waste Management Rules and subsequent amendments in the city of Mysuru and its surroundings.
What will SET do?
Once formed, the SET will monitor the city, Chamundi Hills, Mysuru Palace premises and other high foot traffic areas through periodic review meetings.
The SET is expected to conduct regular daily patrols within the jurisdiction of MCC, Mysuru taluk and other surrounding areas and will have the power to seize prohibited SUP materials.
It is also expected to consider public complaints and conduct visits to urban and rural areas under its jurisdiction, and will have the power to seize banned SUPs from manufacturers, traders and sellers.
All seized SUP materials will need to be handed over by MCC to plastic waste processors authorized by KSPCB and a compliance report will be submitted to the Board. SET also needs to raise awareness through IEC in coordination with KSPCB and MCC to promote alternatives.
Karnataka fights plastic menace despite ban
Despite the years-long ban, banned plastics continue to dominate daily life. Like other states in India, Karnataka is grappling with the menace of single-use plastic, fueled by both civic indifference and the lucrative profits of the industries that produce it. | Video Credit: The Hindu
Establishment of SET
The structure of the SET includes the deployment of an ex-soldier, the deployment of a police officer, the provision of a private vehicle with a driver and the provision of fuel by the KSPCB, among others.
Meanwhile, NGOs in the city, including the Mysore Grahakara Parishat, had mooted the idea of forming a task force in multiple meetings conducted by the authorities over the years. The urgency was due to the clear violation of the law regarding the use of SUP, as well as the littering in public places.
Sources in KSPCB said that despite the issuance of the circular mandating the formation of an SET, the issue and its implementation modalities are yet to be discussed with the Deputy Commissioner, MCC Commissioner and other relevant departments of the Government.
The issue is likely to come up for discussion on Monday, October 13, 2025, when officials led by the Deputy Commissioner will meet to discuss programs to be organized on the occasion of the golden jubilee of the establishment of KSPCB.
It was published – 12 October 2025 17:18 IST
