NGO protests against Ludhiana MC for inability to enforce ban on plastic

Criticising the municipal corporation (MC) over its failure to impose a complete ban on plastic carry bags in the city, Jalandhar based NGO, Action Group Against Plastic Pollution (AGAPP), staged a protest outside the Zone-D office in Sarabha Nagar on Wednesday

Criticising the municipal corporation (MC) over its failure to impose a complete ban on plastic carry bags in the city, Jalandhar based NGO, Action Group Against Plastic Pollution (AGAPP), staged a protest outside the Zone-D office in Sarabha Nagar on Wednesday.

Members of Jalandhar-based NGO, Action Group Against Plastic Pollution. protesting outside MC’s Zone-D office in Sarabha Nagar, Ludhiana, on Wednesday. (Gurpreet Singh/HT)

The civic body has failed to implement the ban on plastic carry bags in the city, ever since it was notified by the state government in 2016. The NGO had also staged a protest outside the Zone-D office on December 20. The members stated that from now on, weekly protests will be staged outside MC and Punjab Pollution Control Board offices every Wednesday.

Founder member of the NGO, USA based doctor Navneet Bhullar, stated that plastic carry bags are not only polluting the environment, but affecting humans lives at large. He stated that weekly protests are being staged in Jalandhar too and demanded that the state government intervene to save the environment.

The members stated that the government should encourage use of compostable bags, which are an available substitute. But, nothing concrete has been done in this direction.

Despite attempts to reach MC commissioner Pardeep Sabharwal, he was not available for comments. Earlier, Sabharwal had stated that MC has formed teams and raids are also being conducted to keep a check on sale and use of plastic carry bags.