Ban on use of plastic bags goes up in smoke

Tribune News Service

Patiala, June 16

Even though, the District Administration and the Municipal Corporation (MC) have decided to render the city free from use and sale of polythene bags its production and stocking continues in the city. The polythene bags are in use and stocked at almost all the shops in the city without any hindrance from the civic body.

The MC has taken out a number of drives advising people to shun the use of plastic polythene bags in the past but to no avail. The corporation also conducted challan drive in various markets, recently. Despite such steps, the use plastic still continues unabated. 

Residents point out the easy manufacturing and stocking of plastic bags as the reason behind its continued use. Surneesh Singh, a retired army officer, said, “Officials of the corporation challan the shopkeepers over use of banned plastic bags. Rather than issuing chalans to small shopkeepers, the administration should go after shops that deal in sale of the material in bulk.”

There are a number of plastic polythene bag manufacturing units in Patiala that are still functional on the Sirhind road.

Another resident, Manisha of Gurbaksh colony near the Patiala-Nabha road said, “The administration needs to put a check on manufacturing and stocking units in the city.”

Meanwhile, Mayor Sanjeev Kumar Sharma on Sunday issued an appeal to the general public to use cloth-based bags. He said, “We have to make the city plastic-free. Garbage is being collected in drains, sewerage pipes and other places due to use of plastic bags.”

Awareness drive

• The MC has taken out a number of drives advising people to shun the use of plastic bags in the past but to no avail 
• The corporation also conducted challan drive in various markets, recently. Despite such steps, the use plastic bags still continues