Hoshiarpur MC bans plastic bags, Rs 1 lakh penalty on violaters

Taking a serious note of rising pollution and choking of drains, the Hoshiarpur municipal corporation on Monday decided to enforce the ban on polythene bags and impose Rs 1 lakh penalty on violators.

Taking a serious note of rising pollution and choking of drains, the Hoshiarpur municipal corporation on Monday decided to enforce the ban on polythene bags and impose Rs 1 lakh penalty on violators.

In the general house meeting held under the chairmanship of mayor Shiv Sood, it was also mandated that any individual or organisation wishing to hold a langar within the municipal limits would have to take prior permission from the MC and deposit a security of Rs 5,000 which would be forfeited if the they fail to clean the place after the event.

The carelessness shown by the langar committees during the recent Chintpurni fair is said to have prompted the authorities to take a strict action against the violators.

As per the Plastic Waste (Management & Handling) Rules, plastic bags below 40 micron width cannot be manufactured or used as they are not biodegradable and hence pose threat to the environment.

Development works worth `4.06 crore were also passed in the meeting, of which Rs 2.66 crore would be spent on installation of 11 new tubewells in the city.