Ban on plastic bags being enforced across Sindh, claim officials

On the directives of caretaker environment minister Arshad Wali Muhammad, the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa) has started implementing the ban on non-degradable plastic bags in the province, while action is also being taken against hospitals violating environmental laws, officials said on Thursday.

They said that Sepa’s regional and district officers visited markets and bazaars to reprimand vendors dealing in banned plastic bags, and asked them to replace the prohibited bags with degradable ones as soon as possible, warning them of sending their cases to local courts.

Sepa acting director general Waris Ali Gabol is personally monitoring the operations against all types of polluters in all the districts, and is in touch with the raiding teams. Action has also been initiated against hospitals and pharmacies across the province that are causing the spread of diseases by disposing of medical waste like regular waste.

Province-wide action is also being taken on a daily basis against vehicles emitting smoke, with drivers of the polluting cars being fined on the spot. Giving instructions in this regard, the interim environment minister has asked the Sepa officers and other staff to adopt a zero-tolerance policy regarding the protection of the environment, and to take strict legal action against polluters without discrimination.

Teams of Sepa Karachi East visited several markets in Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Gulshan-e-Iqbal and Safoora Goth to issue a final warning to shopkeepers, ordering them to abandon and discontinue using the prohibited plastic bags immediately, warning them of sending their cases to local courts.

A Sepa Hyderabad team while operating in the Tower Market raided shops of wholesalers and retailers selling non-biodegradable plastic bags, and seized a large quantity of the prohibited bags.

A Sepa Mirpurkhas team visited Al-Noor Medical Centre, Aziz Medical Centre, Maria Medical Complex, Khan Medical Centre, Bhattai Medical Centre and Al-Shafa Medical Centre to reprimand the managements for violating Sindh’s hospital waste management rules.

Monitoring teams of Sepa Shaheed Benazirabad visited more than seven hospitals on an emergency basis to investigate the management of the hospitals violating environmental laws. Similarly, Sepa teams in Larkana reprimanded sellers of banned plastic bags, and directed them to start selling eco-friendly plastic bags without delay.

Sepa Sukkur teams visited shops to urge shopkeepers to immediately stop using non-degradable plastic bags and start using eco-friendly ones, warning them of strict legal action.