PUNJAB Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has pledged to make the province plastic-free.
In her statement on the occasion of the International Plastic Bag-Free Day, she said a culture of implementing environmental laws is being strictly enforced in the markets and factories to eliminate the trend of usage of plastic bags across Punjab.
This initiative is yet another manifestation of the desire of the Chief Minister to make Punjab neat and clean and address environmental issues in a satisfactory manner. Earlier, she launched Suthra Punjab programme, which has not only contributed immensely to give each and every corner of the province a cleaner look but also provided much-needed employment opportunities to local people. Its key achievements include cleaner streets, improved air quality and enhanced living standards besides restoring public spaces and boosting tourism. The Punjab Government has also partnered with a private firm to manage the recycling of single-use plastic bottles throughout Lahore and reward citizens with cash under the Chief Minister’s Green Credits Initiative. This ‘Cash for Plastic Bottles’ programme is significant in that Lahore alone generates about 500 tons of plastic bottles daily and installation of recycling units at important places will help address this environmental hazard. Based on its success in Lahore, the programme is expected to be expanded to other urban centres. The campaign against the use of plastic bags is vital as they take nearly 150 years to decompose, releasing harmful toxins into the air, which can lead to adverse environmental conditions.
Plastic bags could cause loss of soil fertility, clog drainage systems and exterminate aquatic life. Plastic bags are considered one of the major causes of devastation during urban flooding, therefore, effective implementation of the ban on use of plastic bags has become a necessity. It is encouraging that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) conducted 136,961 raids in Punjab last year and confiscated 253,485 kg plastic bags out of which 6393 raids were conducted in Lahore and 72,097 kg plastic bags were seized. But more needs to be done as plastic bags are openly traded and used in different parts of the province. While appreciating the plan of the Punjab Government to make the province plastic-free, we would point out that the cherished objective of making the province neat and clean on a sustainable basis will remain unrealized until and unless we introduce effective mechanisms for garbage collection and disposal in a scientific manner including establishment of waste-based plants for electricity generation.
