Seven years on, Chandigarh still struggling to get rid of plastic bags

With a little check from the authorities, polythene bags are being rampantly used by vegetable and fruit vendors at the Sector 26 market and small-time traders across the city. Ravi Kumar, a vegetable vendor at the Sector 26 market, says that the plastic bags are cost-effective and durable than paper bags. The polythene bags are found in most markets across the city.

Member secretary of the Chandigarh Pollution Control Committee (CPCC) Danish Ashraf says that they had conducted raids and managed to seize a huge quantity of plastic bags. He admits that issuing challans and seizing bags failed to act as a deterrent for traders of plastic bags. However, he assets that the fine of Rs 5,000 imposed by NGT will give more teeth to their efforts to get rid of plastic bags and other items.

After the NGT orders, UT Deputy Commissioner Ajit Balaji Joshi has constituted a total of four teams. Each team will submit a daily report on the number of challans issued and fine raised from the violators.

Director (Environment) Santosh Kumar says that plastic bags pose a risk to environment and human health as they are non-bio-degradable. Plastic litter causes clogging of drains. “We will launch an awareness campaign urging people not to use plastic,” he adds.

No production of plastic bags in city

In Chandigarh the production of plastic bags was stopped after the ban was imposed in July 2008. The plastic bags are illegally supplied to the city from Delhi, Mohali and other parts of Punjab. Chandigarh Plastic Manufacturers and Traders Association president Jarnail Singh says that before the ban in 2008, a total of 25 units were producing plastic bags but the production of plastic bags was stopped soon after the ban was imposed. Slamming the administration, he says that due to inefficiency of the administration, plastic bags are illegally coming from Delhi and Punjab.

The association had moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court challenging the ban in 2008. “We stopped the production of plastic bags and faced huge revenue losses. Even after that, plastic bags are available as administration has failed to stop entry of plastic from other states,” says Singh.