Lahore: The Punjab government has announced its decision to introduce a new policy pertaining to plastic bags, a news source reported. Environment Minister Muhammad Rizwan expressed his views on the matter at a seminar organised by the Environment Protection Department (EPD) and Agahee.
He stated that the provincial government would incorporate
the reforms introduced by the Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) governments. He
said that they had settle the issues of material, size, and thickness of
plastic bags with the manufacturers’ association. He added that the provincial government
was also constituting a scientific panel for providing more recommendations on
the matter.
On the occasion, Chairman Judicial Commission and former Justice Ali Akbar stated that the Lahore High Court (LHC) had banned use of plastic bags at all mega stores in the provincial capital. He added that the court gave these stores a 15-day deadline to comply with the order and begin using alternatives to plastic shopping bags.
EPD Director General (DG) Tanveer Waraich said that the EPD Punjab had already declared biodegradable plastic bags to be harmful to the environment.
Further, Justice Shahid Karim said that they were in the process of directing the provincial government to introduce a necessary legislation for banning manufacture, sale, and use of polythene bags.
