Over four years after imposing complete ban on the use of polythene bags in the city, the UT Administration is conducting a study to assess the impact of the ban.
For this, the UT Administration has roped in “Environment Matters”, a local organisation working in environmental issues including pollution control, environment management, environment monitoring among others.
The UT Administration had enforced a complete ban on manufacture and use of polythene and plastic bags in Chandigarh on October 2, 2008 to ensure sustainable improvement in the environment.
To conduct the survey, the local organisation has prepared a questionnaire (feedback form) with 28 queries to be answered by the city residents.
The feedback form includes questions on justification of ban, awareness of ban, alternatives of plastic bag, usage of plastic bag after ban, purpose of ban, failure of ban’s effectiveness among others.
The study titled “Assessing the impact of complete ban of plastic carry bags in the union territory of Chandigarh” will help the UT Administration to identify the required changes (if any) in various definitions in the rules of the plastic ban in place.
The study will also analyze the overall impact of the plastic ban in Chandigarh.
During the study, a review of alternatives available in lieu of plastic bag including cost benefit analysis will be done by “Environment Matters”.
The manufacturing industry, recycling industry, shopkeepers, unorganised sector users as in Subzi Mandis, Public-Resident Welfare Associations, housewives and students in Chandigarh; the opinions of all will be considered during the thematic survey.
Enforcing the eco-friendly initiative in 2008, the UT Administration had strictly banned the use, storage, import, selling, transportation and disposal of polythene and plastic carry bags by any person in the city.
And, shopkeeper, vendor, wholesaler, retailer, trader or hawkers were also directed not to use polythene bags.
At that time, a large number of people including of Market Associations, Industry Association had termed the ban on plastic as ‘illogical and irrational decision’ of the UT Administration.
Also, in last four years, the UT Administration has failed to effectively impose the ban even after conducting intensive checking drives in the city markets.
While most of the shopkeepers are complying with the norms, costermongers or green grocers continue to flout the norms.
Santosh Kumar, Director, UT Department of Environment while talking to The Pioneer said, “The Department has roped in NGO “Environment Matters” to conduct the study on the impact of ban in the city. The survey is in process now and would be completed soon.”
“The survey has been proposed to analyze the effectiveness of plastic ban and to analyze its impact in the city. This survey would also indicate the loopholes in the implementation of the ban on plastic in Chandigarh,” he said.
Santosh added, “The study would further assist the UT Administration to decide whether the existing rules to impose ban in place, require any changes or not.”
In the past, no such study has been done by the UT Administration to assess the impact of the plastic ban on the environment in the region.