ISLAMABAD:The management of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has decided to enforce the Prohibition of Non-degradable Plastic Products Regulations, 2013, and the Environment Protection Act, 1997 to stop the use of prohibited plastic bags across Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).
CDA Chairman Captain (r) Muhammad Usman Younis has decided to adopt a two-pronged policy in this connection while directing officials concerned to create awareness against the use of non-degradable plastic shopping bags and launch operations to confiscate such bags from rural and urban areas of ICT.
“We use non-degradable bags despite knowing the fact that the product is not only injurious to health but also causes environmental pollution and blockade of sewerage pipelines,” the CDA chairman observed, adding that such shopping bags could not be disposed of for 100 years and also negatively impact the fertility of soil when buried anywhere.
Top management of CDA has assigned Director General Enforcement to conduct an operation in rural and urban areas of the federal capital to confiscate shopping bags and stop the use of the product which is injurious to health.
The management has also issued directives that environment-friendly bags made of natural fiber should be used introduced in the market. A CDA official said that raiding teams have confiscated 200 kilograms of shopping bags from Aabpara Market, markets of different sectors of G and I series, Khanna Bridge, Bhara Kahu, Kuri Road, Park Road, Tarnol and Koral in the last two years.
It may be pointed out here that the federal government banned the use of non-degradable shopping bags in Islamabad, a few years back, and then it was implemented strictly. But later, the law could not be implemented and the use of the product continued in markets and weekly bazaars openly.