Srinagar: Even though the use of polythene is officially banned, the polythene is seen everywhere especially in the city; courtesy the miserable failure of Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) to control this menace.
However, the SMC had launched a massive anti-polythene drive but that didn’t sustain for long and now with every passing day the use of polythene is increasing with sources in Pollution Control Board revealing that at an average Srinagar city consumes 2,500 kilograms of polythene bags per day.
According to KNS, the data available with Pollution Control Board shows that around five to six polythene bags are used by each house hold in Srinagar daily, which in turn accounts for around 2,500 kg of polythene consumption in a day.
Environmental experts are also of the opinion that if the pace at which the polythene is consumed continues, it could be a serious threat to the environment and its water bodies.
Earlier, the teams of Srinagar Municipal Corporation would frequently raid shopkeepers and roadside vendors, but from the last one year these checking squads seem to have gone in hibernation mode. The move has encouraged such people mostly vendors to make good use of polythene.
According to locals, the polythene use has resurfaced in Kashmir. “There was some ban of it but now things are back to square one,” said Zahid Ahmad, a local.
Most of the people suggest that instead of cracking-down on shopkeepers, vendors against the use polythene bags, the government should address its root cause.
“Why not to raid the Go-downs where the polythene is dumped. Aren’t enforcement squads and Police aware of this, but due to some unknown reasons they don’t raid these big Go-downs,” alleged a local vendor.
The shopkeepers also tell a different story. “Customers cannot take goods in their hands. We do not manufacture the polythene bags. If we are provided the other alternative, why should we still use polythene? We are also a part of the society,” they said.
Environmentalist, G A Bhat says there is a dire need of proper planning to ensure an effective complete ban on polythene use. He said the ‘land of Kashmir’ is very sensitive and polythene will destroy its fertility. “It takes 1,000 years for polythene to get decomposed,” he said.
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