NGO raises voice for strict enforcement of plastic ban

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Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, December 14

Members of an NGO (Action Group Against Plastic Pollution) on Tuesday organised a protest rally in front of the district administrative complex (DAC) demanding a ban on single use plastic.

NGO founder Navneet Bhullar and activists Tinu Luthra and Anjali Arora put out placards to spread awareness on the issue. They presented a memorandum to Deputy Commissioner Ghanshyam Thori demanding that the ban on manufacturing, stocking, distributing and recycling one-time use plastics like disposable cups, spoons, straws etc be implemented with force.

Bhullar said: “The Department of Local Bodies and Department of Rural Development has put a complete ban on plastic bags in their jurisdictions from April 1, 2016, but it is yet to be enforced.”

The NGO has plans to carry out a series of street protests every Tuesday. “We have earlier given a memorandum to Joint Commissioner of Municipal Corporation Major Amit Sareen and the Commissioner Karnesh Sharma but nothing has happened”.

The members said: “We cannot sit and watch our earth and oceans bear the brunt of our violations. This must stop. The only way to accomplish this is to pressurise authorities to enforce the ban on single use plastic bag use that has been on paper in Punjab since 2016 but never enforced. Microplastics are now in our food chain.”

Suggesting a way out, they said: “Compostable plastic bags are completely biodegradable and the government is charging lakhs to issue licences for their manufacturing.” Bhullar said the NGO was set to expand its reach and will be taking protests to Patiala and Ludhiana.