LUDHIANA: While taking action against storage of plastic carry bags, civic officials on Monday seized around 33 quintals of polythene bags from godowns in two areas of the city. The carry bags were destroyed at the garbage dump as per the method. The MC will also impose a minimum challan of Rs5,000 on owners of these godowns who had stored a stock of plastic carry bags, despite ban.
Civic officials have once again kicked off checking of godowns in the city, as earlier also a drive was initiated in 2017, but due to MC polls, it was stopped by officials. However, it is yet to be seen whether they will make a routine drive this time or not.
MC medical officer (health) Dr Vipul Malhotra informed: “Two teams of MC health branch were formed to check godowns where plastic carry bags are kept usually, so they went to areas Islamganj and Sabzi Mandi.” He said they had lifted the entire stock and destroyed it by dumping it properly in the ground. He claimed they had started a drive to check stock and use plastic bags in the city, and they would continue taking action against defaulters. He said there was a provision of imposing a minimum penalty of Rs5,000, which cannot be exempted.
Notably, the Punjab government had passed the Punjab Plastic Carry Bag Act first in 2005, according to which the manufacturers could not manufacture any carry bags from virgin plastic of thickness not less than 30 micron, and of a size, not less than 8”x12”. Further, this act was amended, and the government imposed a complete ban on the manufacturing, stocking, and use of plastic carry bags and thermocol products in the state, with immediate effect from 1 February 2016. The announcement was made in April 2016.
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