Garhwal commissioner Dilip Jawalkar has instructed the administrations and the police departments of all the districts falling under Garhwal division to intensify drives to ensure complete implementation of the ban imposed on the use of polythene, plastic and thermocol items. The commissioner reminded all the officers the fact that the Centre has prohibited the use of polythene, plastic and thermocol items and asked them to constitute teams to stop the entry of the banned items from outside into seven districts of Garhwal region. He laid stress on unannounced inspections and raids to stop use of the banned items in the markets and the shops. The instruction has assumed significance in view of the Char Dham Yatra which would gain its full momentum from the end of April when the portals of the two shrines Kedarnath and Badrinath would reopen for the pilgrims. As per the experiences of the previous years, the use of the banned articles rise manifolds during the pilgrimage. Hence the strict order from the Garhwal commissioner.
Earlier, the Garhwal commissioner had issued order to the district administrations of the seven districts to stop use of the banned items in the region from March 31 while saying that anybody to be found using them would be slapped with a penalty of Rs 5,000.
Jawalkar said that the environment is under threat due to the unabated use of the plastic and thermocol products in the Garhwal region. “It is the time when the use must be stopped by all means. With the end in view, we have asked the temple and Gurudwara committees to desist from using the banned items in bulks,” he said.