Shakeela Andrabi
SRINAGAR: Single-use plastic and polythene pollution is becoming more and more dangerous and creating health hazard issues across world. Divisional Commissioner Kashmir P K Pole has urged authorities to do more to eradicate plastic pollution. Although Div Com appreciated the improvement in overall efforts of all Municipal bodies including SMC but said that a lot of work is to be done to curb plastic pollution so as to save water-bodies and other roadside scenery sites. In a high level-meeting chaired by Divisional Commissioner, he directed all the milk producing and selling companies to take back their plastic or face the action. He also directed concerned to conduct market checking of wholesalers and retail sellers of plastic and imposes fine on them. He laid emphasis on cleaning of water-bodies and impressed on Higher Secondary Schools and colleges to adopt water bodies and employ students in the cleaning activities. Meanwhile, it was informed that snow cap Milk Company has collected 43 thousand pouches of milk from consumers and provided milk in return. Lauding the efforts of the company, the Div Com asked SMC to impose fine on the departments which lay construction material on roads and footpaths. He asked SMC to scan garbage and hold companies liable for waste produced by their products
As per data released by I&C Department, there are no any polythene producing units in Kashmir and department has established 25 plastic alternative manufacturing units during past two months besides 150 of such units are already existing. Notably, in Jammu & Kashmir use of polythene carry bags under SRO-122 under Section 17 of Jammu and Kashmir Non-Biodegradable Material (Management, Handling and Disposal) Act, 2007 is totally banned. Srinagar & Jammu Municipal Corporations had implemented non Bio-degradable Material (Management Handling and Disposal) Act 2007 regarding ban on polythene carry-bags. The Corporations had also constituted Anti Polythene Squads to check the usage of the product. In July last year, J&K administration set-up a Special Task Force to eliminate use of single-use plastic. It was decided that the task force chaired by Chief Secy Dr Arun Kumar Mehta will prepare an action plan for implementation of Plastic Waste Management Rules 2016, and enforcement of the ban on single use plastic items and elimination of ‘Single Use Plastic and addressing the issue of plastic pollution’ in Union territory.