The district administration of South Assam’s Hailakandi officially banned plastic carry bags and other plastic items.
The district administration has issued a directive banning the use of plastic bags and other plastic items such as banners, buntings, flex, plastic spoons and cups, plastic flags and cling films.
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The district administration has also banned plastic sheets below 50 microns and products made of thermocol with immediate effect.
District magistrate Keerthi Jalli, issued an order in this regard on Monday.
The order was issued to the SDOs (Civil), circle officers, assistant commissioners, executive officers and engineers of urban local bodies, officers of health, taxation, food and civil supplies, legal metrology departments and gaon panchayat secretaries.
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The top officials under the district were asked to ensure the ban on plastic products, plastic carry bags and plastic containers which have been causing environmental degradation and health hazards.
The district magistrate asserted that “use of plastic bags and other plastic items causes blockage of gutters, sewers and drains besides resulting in pollution of water bodies in urban areas”.
She stated, “No person, including shopkeeper, vendor, wholesaler, retailer, trader, hawker or salesman shall use plastic bags, plastic sheets and multilayered packaging less than 50 microns.”
“Plastic cups with less than 60 mm in diameter and thickness less than 50 microns, short life PVC and all chlorinated plastic bags, sheets, banners, flex, buntings and plastic flags irrespective of thickness” have been banned.
According to the order, “No industry or person shall manufacture, import, supply, store, transport, sale or distribute plastic carry bags, plastic sheets, multilayered packaging less than 50 microns.”
The order, however, exempts plastic carry bags manufactured exclusively for export purpose by a plastic industry located in a Special Economic Zone or Export Oriented Unit.
Plastic bags, multilayered film or sheet which form an integral part of packaging in which goods are sealed prior to use at manufacturing or processing units have also been exempted.
Besides, plastic bags and sheets used in forestry and horticulture nurseries and plastic bags or plastic used for packaging of medicines have also been exempted from the purview of the order.
Penalty for contravention of provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 is punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend up to five years or with fine or both, the order stated.