LHC enhances fine on use of polythene bags

LAHORE:The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday enhanced the fine on use of polythene bags and directed the authorities to impose Rs 5,000 to Rs 20,000 fine on violation of a ban on using plastic bags in the province.

Justice Shahid Kareem was hearing a public interest petition filed through advocate Abuzar Salman Khan Niazi. The court on September 17 had already banned manufacturing, sale and use of the polythene bags in the whole province of Punjab and directed the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) to enforce the ban in letter and spirit.

The court instructed EPA that those found using polythene bags be given a three-day warning to shun the practice and if they don’t, they be imposed a fine. The judge observed that no one will be allowed to disobey the court order.

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.