Ban on polythene given short shrift

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, August 23

After initial enthusiasm in enforcing the ban on the use of plastic bags, the Municipal Corporation seems to have forgotten its orders issued in April this year. While a few shopkeepers were issued challans for using polythene during the first few days of the ban, almost every shopkeeper can be seen using them now.

The initial enthusiasm in enforcing the ban had proved a deterrent and billboards requesting people not to ask for polythene bags had come up at various shops in the city. However, as the official machinery relaxed its grip, things have returned to status quo.

A big proportion of the waste generated in the city includes plastic bags. As per official orders, ban on manufacturing and using polythene bags of less than 30 micron was imposed. The polythene-bag manufacturers and sellers had protested against the move.

A local resident, Balwant Singh, said, “This is not the first time that the administration has failed to enforce its own orders. The administration had banned the sale of sand from the roadsides, but the ban was not implemented. The same had also happened with the ban on washing cars during summers. A few challans were issued and afterwards everybody stopped talking about it.”

MC officials, on the other hand, stated that they are planning a campaign to encourage people to refuse polythene bags, as it would produce better results instead of issuing challans.