While the Dehradun district administration is busy in relief works following the disaster experienced in the State last month, the citizens have once again started flouting the ban on polythene bags in the State capital.
Officials of the district administration point out that in the end the efficacy of the ban depends on the level of civic sense among the people which evidently seems to be lacking in Dehradun. It will be recalled that polythene bags and disposable plastic utensils were completely banned in Dehradun city from March 15 this year. The District administration had formed teams which raised public awareness and raided shops using the banned items along with officials of the Municipal Corporation of Dehradun. Many quintals of polythene bags were seized and traders were penalised.
The drive appeared to have achieved considerable success as many traders in the city had stopped using polythene bags and began using paper or fabric bags instead. However, since the disaster struck Uttarakhand last month this prohibition is being flouted blatantly by traders and citizens. With officials and resources of the district administration focused on the disaster relief and mitigation works, the use of banned polythene items has started rising again in the State capital.
Dehradun District Magistrate BVRC Purushottam said that work on reinforcing the polythene ban could resume after 10 days. Disaster relief and mitigation works are being accorded top priority by the administration at present. However, he said that this is an issue which also involves civic sense. The administration alone cannot ensure the successful implementation of the ban if the citizens themselves do not comprehend their responsibility and desist from using the banned polythene items, he said. It is pertinent to mention here that in absence of a scientific garbage disposal system and lack of civic sense, polythene waste has become a major factor polluting the environment of the once clean and green Doon Valley. Polythene dumped in sewers is also responsible for choking the drains which in turn causes water logging during the rains.