Microplastics are now part of human food chain, claims NGO
Strap: Writes an open letter to CM on enforcement of plastic ban
BOX:
*The Punjab Government in 2016 amended the Punjab Plastic Carry Bags Control Act — 2005, to completely prohibit, manufacture, stock, distribute, recycle, sale or use of plastic carry bags and containers made of virgin or recycled plastic and plastic items having one time use such as disposable plastic cups, spoons, forks and straws.
*The Department of Local Government and Department of Rural Development and Panchayat have accordingly imposed a complete ban (at least on papers) on plastic carry bags in their respective jurisdictions with effect from April 1, 2016.
*All plastic bags have been banned by Punjab but the Centre has only banned carry bags made of virgin plastic which are less than 50 microns. Compostable bags are being manufactured in Punjab in three cities.
Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, January 13
Peeved over the fact that a ban on the use of single-use plastic bags imposed by the state government in 2016 has not been implemented, a Jalandhar-based NGO Action Group Against Plastic Pollution (AGAPP) has written an open letter to Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh.
Set up in August 2020, Dr Anjali Arora, a medico by profession and a volunteer with the NGO, said, “We believe that we cannot just sit and let Earth and oceans bear the brunt of our negligence. This must stop. Microplastics are now a part of human food chain and are being detected in human faeces. A 100 million marine animals are dying each year mistaking plastic bags piled in our oceans for food. It is an unprecedented ecological emergency. The ban is there but sans any implementation. We believe that we citizens must take control now.
Ahead of writing an open letter to CM, the members met environmentalist Balbir Singh Seechewal and got it signed from him at Seechewal village of January 9. Sant Seechewal also made a video appeal to the public to not accept plastic bags from vendors and encouraged vendors to buy compostable bags, which he said would be supplied at much subsidised rates. He said these had been certified by the Punjab Pollution Control Board, are made of starch from potatoes, sugarcane and maize and are completely biodegradable.
AGAPP is working with several school systems in Jalandhar also urging them to write letters to CM to enforce this ban. “Colleges must get on board too. The Punjab Pollution Control Board is being mobilised to conduct a seminar of sellers and the public on compostable bag use.”
