The Department of Environment (DoE) has vowed to go tough on the rampant use of banned polythene shopping bags.
The DoE, Chittagong Metropolitan officials said they would also take stern actions against manufacturers and distributors as the use of banned polythene shopping bags have gone up rampantly in the kitchen markets.
According to the DoE, the errant manufacturers were fined with Tk380,000 while five tonnes of polythene shopping bags was seized from August to December last year.
“Recently we have intensified our drive against the use of banned polythene shopping bags. We have also launched an anti-polythene campaign in the city so that the residents could become aware of the environmental hazard caused by polythene shopping bags,” said Sangjucta Das Gupta, assistant director of the DoE (Chittagong Metropolitan).
“As part of the anti-polythene campaign, we are distributing posters, leaflets and stickers to spread awareness regarding the adverse effects of polythene use on the environment. We are also exchanging views with the kitchen traders associations of the city and raising awareness in this regard. It a matter of great happiness that Jhautala Bazar has already been declared as a polythene-free kitchen market in the city,” said Gupta, adding that the manufacturing would gradually come down if we show our back to the polythene bags.
The DoE officials said instead of manufacturing, most of the businesses in the port city recycle polythene.
The businesses which recycle polythene in the city are located in Korbaniganj, Asadganj, Kalamia Bazar and Baluardighi areas.
Vendors at the kitchen markets of the city while talking to this reporter said they preferred using non-biodegradable polythene shopping bags in absence of a cost-effective environment-friendly alternative.
“We are well aware of the environmental hazard of using polythene shopping bags. However, we cannot but use polythene shopping bags since they are easily available and cheap,” says Md Kamrul Islam, a vendor at Sholoshahar Karnaphuli Kitchen Market.
“We cannot imagine selling vegetables without polythene shopping bags as there is no better alternative. Like big businesses, a small vendor like me can hardly afford to bear the cost of non-polythene shopping bags,” said Md Rahim, a vendor at Kazir Dewri kitchen market.
The green activists and environmentalists said the production and use of banned shopping polythene bags had increased alarmingly due to the lax monitoring and insufficient mobile court drives on the part of the regulating agencies of the government.
“The water cycle is being disturbed due to the rampant use of polythene. 80% water in nature should pass through the soil, 10% water should be evaporated while the water bodies like drains, rivers and ponds should contain the rest amount of water. However, the groundwater level is fast depleting as the recharging process is being greatly disturbed,” said Muhammad Edris Ali, associate professor, Department of Chemistry at Government Hazi Muhammad Mohsin College.
Salma Sultana, Lecturer at Department of Chemistry in BAF Shaheen College, Chittagong, said: “The rampant use of polythene is responsible for the persistent water congestion in Chittagong city since it chokes the drains and sewerage. When discarded, polythene remains intact in the soil since it takes centuries to decompose and disturbs the flow of nutrients and sunlight to the soil. It also destroys the beneficial bacteria of soil and its fertility and causes soil compaction in the long run. When burnt, the polythene turns into carbon dioxide and thus pollutes air.”
Considering the serious environmental hazards, the government banned the manufacture, marketing and use of polythene shopping bags in the capital with effect from January 1, 2002, followed by a countrywide ban from March 31. However, an exception to the ban was made for packaging of 14 items. They include biscuit, chanachur, bread, salt, vermicelli, medicine, flour, naphthalene, fertiliser, chocolate and milk powder.
In January 2010, the Department of Environment (DoE) allowed partially the use of polythene under certain conditions that three categories of polybags could be manufactured – to transport fish fries, preserve mushrooms, and packaging of food items.
The fine for using poly bags for purposes other than export is Tk500.