The authorities have stepped up enforcement of the ban on polythene and disposable polystyrene (thermocol) dishes and cups since April 1 in Dehradun. However, misinformation, misgivings and even protest among various sections of society remain unresolved. Meanwhile, some members of the business fraternity have also continued to protest alleging that the authorities are harassing them in the name of enforcing the prohibition.
A provisional store keeper in Karnpur, Anup Goyal opined that the authorities are focusing mainlyon shopkeepers whereas they should first focus on the manufacturing and distribution of such articles. He said, “While the authorities are focusing on polythene carry bags, the branded food items and other articles packed in polythene are being ignored even though the resulting plastic waste is no less harmful to the environment than the banned items. The big players are being ignored while the traders are being targeted,” he opined.
A wholesale distributer of packaging material and disposable items, Ankit Aggarwal said that though the government is advocating the use of alternatives like paper bags, the durability of such options is less. He further opined that the government has not conducted a thorough study over the types of polythene items used in the market. Owner of a sweet shop, Ankuar Maheshwar said that customer preference also plays a major role in encouraging the use of polythene.
More than the shop owners, it is the vegetable vendors and petty traders who are finding it inconvenient to do away with the polythene bags. A vegetable vendor Rahul Kumar said that vendors like him are reluctant to dismiss the demand of customers for polythene as their business already fluctuates and they cannot afford losing customers. He said that a polythene bag costs about 25 paise whereas a fibre bag costs him between Rs one to three depending on its size.