KULDEEP SINGH
JAMMU: The helplessness of Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) in curbing the polythene bag menace came to fore during a recent statement made by its Commissioner Soujanaya Sharma while addressing a seminar at IIPA that JMC alone cannot get rid of polythene menace and people’s participation in this regard is critical.
The statement itself is a meek surrender by the JMC Commissioner making null and void all the claims made in the past by this civic agency of conducting anti-polythene drives and seizing umpteen number of polythene bags from every nook and corner of the city.
Needless to say that statement made by the man sitting on helm clearly indicated that matter is grim and its resolution is not everybody’s cup of tea.
Talking to STATE TIMES, a milk products dealer from Gandhi Nagar locality (pleading anonymity) said that they could not even imagine selling milk, curd and cheese without the use of polythene bags since paper and other sort of carry bags didn’t go well with these items. Replying on the issue of availability of polythene bags, he said that there is no dearth of polythene carry bags and they are readily available as ever.
The seriousness of authorities in curbing the use of these unhealthy plastic bags is nowhere in the sight as enforcement staff of Municipality conduct checks for namesake in the same localities at regular intervals to seize the bags and realize meager amount from the traders as fine. No serious effort is yet put by the authorities to restrict the manufacturing of these polythene bags and thus production houses across Jammu are pushing in loads of these carry bags thus ridiculing the authorities and defeating the aim of much publicised anti-polythene drives.
Though, JMC Commissioner’s opinion that it is only awareness among the society that can limit this menace has weight but this does not mean that authorities keep mum on the issue waiting for mass awareness to happen.
Talking to STATE TIMES, many traders on promise of anonymity unveiled the mystery that there are several manufacturing units in the vicinity of Jammu City producing heaps of these carry bags with some changes in their modus operandi. After the ban, such units prefer to manufacture these polythene bags without printing their addresses to avoid the chances of being caught. The violation of the ban has turned out to be a blessing in disguise for them as the sale of the contraband does not attract even the stipulated levy.
With the fading enthusiasm of students, NGOs and other forums to spread awareness over the issue, the society which has already turned a deaf ear towards the issue has included these polythene carry bags in their daily chores which is evident from the fact that almost everybody in Jammu can be seen carrying different commodities including the eatables in these hazardous bags, least bothering about the ill effects associated.
Randhir Singh, President Green Ray Foundation NGO said that stringent action by implementing agencies can only stop this menace as mere awareness drives will not prove effective because the issue involves big fishes of Jammu’s business world.
