Use of polythene bag continues
The government should
take stern actions against the manufacturers and
sellers of polythene bags
in the interest of protection
of environment
According to a report in this newspaper yesterday members of Rapid Action Battalion in a drive with mobile court seized six tonnes of polythene bags worth Taka 12 lakh and fined four polythene traders with Taka one lakh at Shothibari Bazar in Mithapukur upazila of Rangpur on Saturday. We welcome the drive against the invasion of polythene. It is disturbing to note that polythene bags are being produced and sold in every nook and cranny of the country, including the capital, despite the ban on production and sale of the same a few years ago.
Despite the fact that polythene bags are non-biodegradable substance and do not get mixed with the soil, there is no let-up in its multifarious uses. They clog drains and canals and obstruct normal flow of water threatening environment. A section of unscrupulous traders manufacture and market huge quantities of the banned item ignoring its detrimental effects. The efforts to free the country from polythene menace did not show the desired success during the successive governments, and so it continued to pollute the environment. Sporadic drives are not enough to rein in the invasion of polythene, what is required is sustained round-the-year actions and surveillance.
From the insidious presence of polythene bags throughout the country it seems that the greedy traders are enjoying some sort of privilege from some quarters. The ban on production and sale of polythene bags was imposed in 2002 to protect environment from the onslaught of the biodegradable materials. Polythene bags also choke rivers and canals, imperiling the normal aquatic life. The awareness campaign that started with the ban of polythene worked well with people spontaneously switching over to shopping bags made of paper and jute but that was short-lived. Things reverted to the previous position and the manufacturers began producing and selling polythene bags soon with renewed zeal. A lot of damage has already been done to the environment.
Only large-scale production and marketing of environment-friendly jute bags can resist invasion polythene bags and people from all strata of life should use the same. If it is done, cottage industry will flourish in the country. The jute mills that have been shut down due to recurrent losses may be engaged in producing environment-friendly shopping bags. This will also contribute to employment generation. The government should take stern actions against the manufacturers and sellers of polythene bags in the interest of protection of environment.
