Plastic ban violated at carnival, plaint filed

Former deputy mayor of the Shimla Municipal Corporation Tikender Panwar has sent a complaint to the Pollution Corporation Board regarding the use of banned plastic at the ongoing Winter Carnival in Shimla. In a letter to Pollution Control Board chairman Onkar Sharma, Panwar has alleged that the food stalls set up at the Ridge were serving eatables in plastic plates, which is banned in the state.

Panwar further said that several flex boards (plastic) had also been put up at the Ridge, Mall Road and several other parts of the city, which was again a violation of the norms as flex beyond a certain limit of thickness is not permitted. “The HP High Court in its order in March 2024 had asked for the removal of flexi banners in the state. The pollution control board had apprised that a particular thickness is only permitted, though in some states no flexi banners are allowed,” wrote Panwar.

The former deputy mayor further urged the Pollution Control Board to take action against the people who have put up the flex boards at various places in the city.