Ban on polythene bags goes down the drain

Raj Sadosh

Abohar, July 21

Even as the Punjab government has asked all the deputy commissioners and local bodies to strictly implement the Punjab Plastic Bags (Manufacture, Usage and Disposal) Control Act from May 1, 2011, no efforts have been made to follow the instructions here.

The sub-divisional town has emerged as a hub for sale of banned polythene material. Not only shopkeepers but also fruit and vegetable vendors are found using polythene carry bags with impunity. On the Bathinda-Abohar-Sriganganagar rail section, heaps of carry bag waste can be seen in the dwellings.

Veteran environmentalist Dr RK Sehgal said the sale of plastic bags beyond the prescribed description was rampant in the sub-division. Besides creating problems for the civic authorities, it is also responsible for health-related problems and environment degradation.

Satpal Khariwal, chairman, Consumer Movement, said the government should take some urgent measures as the problem was gigantic and it was playing havoc with the sewerage system.

The staff at the Sewerage Treatment Plant confirmed that tonnes of garbage stacked each day carry more than half of polythene waste.

Gaushala Managing Committee president Faquir Chand Goyal said the postmortem of stray cattle in the past had indicated that they had consumed a lot of polythene, possibly at dumping centres.

Municipal Council president Pramil Kalani on Tuesday held a meeting with a section of shopkeepers and vegetable and fruit selling cart holders and requested them to put waste in dustbins instead of throwing the same on roads and drains. On taking action against sale of polythene carry bags, he said the council had got no executive officer as of now, adding, “Let anybody join, we will initiate action.”