Tehbazari Dept seizes 16 quintals of poly bags

Ajay Joshi

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, September 15

Following the orders of the state government, Jalandhar Municipal Corporation’s Tehbazari Department has been seizing polythene bags stored at various warehouses.

On the second day of its raid, officials seized nearly 16 quintals of plastic carry bags from the Maqsudan Sabzi Mandi. The team, led by Superintendent Mandeep Singh seized more than 30 quintals of banned polythene bags so far. He said the raid was conducted at godowns at Sabzi Mandi.

“From these warehouses plastic carry bags were further sold to wholesalers and to fruit and vegetable vendors. Though fines has not been imposed on manufacturers yet, if found guilty again, hefty fine would be taken from the violators,” he added.

However, perturbed over what kind of carry bags to be used for commercial purpose, vendors in the city continued using banned or low-quality poly bags. Almost every trader and vendor is using prohibited polythene bags even after weeks of ban imposed on them.

Sunil, while selling clothes. in the Sunday haul market said everyone was using polythene bags, therefore he also preferred to use them. Due to the high cost of eco-friendly bags, he could not afford to buy them, he added.

Jashan Singh, another fruit seller, said customer don’t take chargeable carry bags therefore, they had to resort to using these carry bags.

They said the authorities should try to reduce the price of compostable bags and poly bags ranging above 50 microns.

Mandeep Singh said, as per the state government, poly bags either of above 50 microns or below 50 microns, were banned in the state. However the low-quality poly bags have been replaced by poly bags above 50 microns.

Meanwhile, traders and manufactures under All plastic manufactures and Traders Welfare Association have asked the state government to allow them to manufacture plastic carry bags of thickness more than 50 microns.

President of the association Manmohan Singh said the manufactures should be allowed to manufacture them and instead non-woven Polypropylene cotton bags used unabated should be banned as these were hundred per cent manufactured with plastic and no quantity of cotton and clothes were used for its manufacturing.

“Therefore these carry bags,deemed as cotton bags were not at all eco-friendly,” he added.

Pollution Control Board’s district engineer Arun Kakaar said the non-woven Polypropylene cotton bags comes under ban category.

Pollution Control Board’s district engineer Arun Kakaar said the non-woven Polypropylene cotton bags comes under ban category.