LHC orders EPA to extend ban on plastic bags in whole province

LAHORE:The Lahore High Court on Thursday directed the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) to enforce a ban on manufacturing, sale and use of polythene bags in the whole province of Punjab.

Justice Shahid Karim was hearing a public interest petition when petitioner’s counsel Abuzar Salman Khan Niazi said at present the ban on the plastic bags was enforced in Lahore, Gujranwala and Faisalabad districts. He said except three, the bags were being used in all the districts of the province which was a great hurdle to achieve the real purpose of the ban on the environmentally hazardous polythene bags.

The judge ordered the EPA to extend the ban in the whole province and give ten days to mega stores and shopping malls for compliance of the order. Earlier, a law officer filed a report about a ban on the plastic bags in the three districts and action taken against the violators.

A separate report was also submitted about action being taken against the factories for violation of environmental laws. In February, Justice Karim had banned the plastic bags in the provincial metropolis. Later, he extended it in Gujranwala and Faisalabad.

The petition filed by a citizen, Haroon Farooq, stated that the plastic products caused harmful effects on human health and environment by the use of polythene bags. It said the polythene bags were single use products which took thousands of years to decompose and they had been causing havoc in various areas of Punjab and were damaging the sewerage system of cities, spreading epidemics, polluting soil, causing water pollution and endangering aquatic life. The petition sought a complete ban on manufacturing, use, sale, storage, import and marketing of polythene bags in the province.