Environment secy orders strict implementation of ban on plastic bags after June 15

The Sindh secretary of environment, climate change and coastal development, Agha Shah Nawaz Khan, chaired a high-level meeting on Thursday to review departmental performance, identify ongoing challenges and outline a forward-looking strategy.

A major focus of the meeting was the enforcement of the province-wide ban on plastic shopping bags, which is set to take effect on June 15. To ensure strict implementation, a special committee was formed under Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa) Director General Waqar Hussain Phulpoto comprising all regional directors.

The meeting decided that a zero-tolerance policy would be enforced from June 16 onwards, and formal letters would be sent to the home secretary and all divisional commissioners to ensure coordinated district-level operations.

The session also discussed restructuring the Directorate of Climate Change, appointing a dedicated consultant, activating a provincial climate working group and establishing a sustainable development board to ensure strategic use of sustainability funds.

Nawaz also reviewed progress in annual development schemes and directed officers to identify vacant posts, finalise promotions and seniority lists within Sepa, and streamline audit and financial processes.

He emphasised active field engagement and tangible environmental outcomes, warning that negligence would not be tolerated. Stressing the ecological dangers posed by plastic bags, he said enforcement would begin on June 16, with visible results expected immediately. Violators would face strict legal action in coordination with district and provincial agencies.

Last week, the provincial secretary for environment, climate change, and coastal development, Agha Shahnawaz Khan, informed the audience at an awareness seminar held at Karachi University that that the Sindh government was going to ban the use of plastic bags from June 15, 2025 and it was set to launch a crackdown on plastic bags in major cities. He shared that plastic poses severe threats to our ecosystems.

He reaffirmed the Sindh government’s commitment to banning plastic all over the province. He announced that from June 15, a crackdown on plastic bags would begin in major cities, including Karachi, Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, and Larkana and others. He emphasized that extensive consultation with stakeholders had been conducted to ensure effective implementation. He said plastic pollution is a global environmental challenge. Each year, 11 million tonnes of plastic waste pollutes our land, water, and food supply.