Pune Municipal Corporation’s enforcement of the city’s single-use plastic ban weakened sharply between January and August 2026, with penalty receipts falling 43% year on year and fine collections dropping to Rs31.51 lakh, according to PMC data reported by the Times of India.
Civic squads issued 591 penalty receipts during the first eight months of 2026, compared with 1,037 receipts in the corresponding period of 2025. The decline reduced fine collections by Rs23.54 lakh, from Rs55.05 lakh last year to Rs31.51 lakh this year.
Plastic confiscations also fell during the period. PMC teams seized 3,456kg of plastic between January and August 2026, down from 3,826kg during the same period in 2025, a decline of nearly 10%.
Residents and environmentalists have called for stricter enforcement, pointing to the effect of plastic waste on the city’s drainage network. Plastic litter can accumulate in storm-water drains and contribute to waterlogging and flash flooding, apart from creating environmental and public-space concerns.
“Use of this plastic is rampant, not only by roadside vendors but also in shops. Stringent action is a must against sellers and users,” Gauri Patil, a resident of Chandannagar, told the Times of India.
Shopkeepers said enforcement should be accompanied by greater promotion of alternatives such as cloth and paper bags. Ramesh Joshi, a shopkeeper in Kothrud, said PMC should sensitise traders and consider recognition or rewards for businesses that use paper bags.
Under PMC directives, the manufacture, import, stocking, distribution and sale of single-use plastic are banned. The prohibited items include plastic bags and polypropylene bags, as well as plastic films used for wrapping or packaging sweet boxes, plastic cutlery, straws, balloon sticks, earbuds, invitation cards and cigarette packets. The civic restrictions were introduced in line with a Union government order issued in 2022.
Santosh Varule, head of PMC’s solid waste management department, said enforcement was being carried out through ward offices in coordination with the department’s head office. He said instructions had been issued to intensify action and that the civic administration was considering increasing the fine amount.
PMC officials said consultations, debates and discussions had been held with non-governmental organisations and experts before the ban was implemented. The civic body has also conducted garbage collection drives and awareness programmes with corporate firms and social organisations, while promoting the rules through social media.
The enforcement challenge comes as Pune’s municipal waste load has increased following the addition of 23 villages to civic limits. PMC data cited in the report puts daily waste generation at around 2,100 tonnes, comprising approximately 800 tonnes of wet waste, 700 tonnes of dry waste and 600 tonnes of mixed waste. Plastic is estimated to account for 15% of the city’s total daily waste.
PMC’s solid waste management department is expected to intensify ward-level action and consider a higher fine amount as the next steps in enforcing the single-use plastic ban.
