An inspection of team of Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa) on Monday visited various markets of the city to ensure that the shopkeepers and traders there had been complying with the provincial government’s recent ban on single-use plastic bags or polythene bags made of non-degradable plastic that poses harm to the environment.
A statement issued here said that the inspection team visited various markets of the city on the directives of Sindh Environment and Law Adviser Barrister Murtaza Wahab. Sindh Environment and Climate Change Secretary Khan Muhammad Mahar supervised inspection by the team to ensure that the retailers in the markets were complying with the government’s ban on single-use plastic bags and polythene bags made of non-degradable plastic.
Deputy Director Sepa Waris Gabol led the inspection team, which visited various markets of Bahadurabad and Dhoraji areas to ensure that the retailers there used only plastic bags made of bio-degradable plastic.
The Sepa team visited various confectionery, meat, vegetable, grocery, milk and other stores and collected samples of polythene bags being used there to ensure that they meet the prescribed standard of thickness whereas they were also made from bio-degradable plastic.
The inspection team of Sepa visited over two dozen shops of the area and issued directives to the retailers wherever they found that the shopping bags being used there were of substandard quality and didn’t comply with the standards set by the provincial government for the purpose.
Barrister Murtaza Wahab said on the occasion that he had directed the teams of Sepa to go to the field to check and verify that the retailers had been observing the ban on single-use plastic bags.
He said that people had also welcomed the provincial government’s ban on single-use plastic bags or the polythene bags made of non-degradable plastic. The adviser asked the plastic industry to stop production of polythene bags made of non-degradable plastic as they caused much harm to the environment. He said the provincial government with the support of the public would continue its drive against the production and usage of single-use plastic bags till the time this menace was completely overcome.