A day after people were seen wading through knee-deep water after monsoon showers, mayor Balkar Sandhu blamed waste polythene for choking sewer lines and banned the use of plastic carry bags in the city from August 1.
The city has been struggling to enforce a complete ban on plastic carry bags since 2016. Asked if this time would be any different, Sandhu said, “Special teams will be formed to carry out intensive drives to restrain the use and trade of plastic carry bags in the city. Violators will be slapped with hefty fines.”
On July 14, the MC general house had approved a resolution to ban single-use plastic. While appealing residents to adopt alternatives such cloth bags, the mayor said the MC had cleaned the sewer lines before the arrival of monsoon, but the lines got choked regardless due to plastic carry bags which clogged the drains.
The mayor said, “The matter was also highlighted by shopkeepers near the Clock Tower when municipal corporation commissioner Pardeep Sabharwal and I had gone for an inspection. I will also ask Punjab Pollution Control Board officials to check manufacturing of banned carry bags.”
Though the state government had imposed a complete ban on plastic carry bags in April 2016, the use and trade of plastic bags goes unabated in absence of proper checks.
{{/usCountry}}Though the state government had imposed a complete ban on plastic carry bags in April 2016, the use and trade of plastic bags goes unabated in absence of proper checks.
{{/usCountry}}An official, requesting anonymity, said the MC has had trouble enforcing the ban due to political interference.