Civic officials have started conducting raids in the areas adjacent to Har Ki Paidi in the night hours by way of executing the order issued by the National Green Tribunal regarding the ban on the use of plastic/ polythene in the district. Teams were earlier formed at the administrative level for the successful anti- polythene drives in the district which include some health department officers. While the raids are on, the local traders are being urged through meetings to stop using the banned articles. They are also being told firmly that those to be found violating the order would be penalised.
Speaking to The Pioneer on the issue, the District Magistrate Deepak Rawat said that the people are being made aware of the ill- effects of using the banned materials through various means. “Now, we are also launching vigorous drives during the night hours to spot those found littering or using polythene in the mela area. They are being penalised too. We are addressing the wholesalers trading in polythene. They are being categorically told that their godowns would be sealed if they are found to store the banned articles," he said.
It is learnt that two teams have been formed to inspect various areas of the district. The teams comprise employees of the municipal corporation, police personnel and members of Ganga pollution control unit.
DM further said that the administration would not spare anybody found on the wrong side of the order banning polythene and plastic issued by the government, the High Court and NGT. “The traders found wrapping things in the banned materials are being slapped with penalties up to Rs 5000,” he added.
It is learnt that the city health officer Kailash Gunjyal has penalised 12 shopkeepers, trading near the Shiva Murti, who were found littering the area outside their shops on Friday. Ten other shopkeepers were slapped with penalties to the tune of Rs 12, 000 for keeping banned articles in their shops. It is further learnt that two traders were slapped with fines of Rs 5000 each for violating the order. Speaking of the ongoing raids, municipal commissioner P K Bansal said that the municipal corporation has recovered polythene weighing nearly one quintal and a penalty amount of Rs 12,000 from different offenders has been collected.
Notably, the NGT order had come in July 2016 on a complaint filed by an environmentalist M C Mehta against the pollution of Ganga. He had held the Uttarakhand pollution control board, district administration and municipal corporation accountable for the river's pollution. The tribunal had further ordered that the civic body officials in the district would check the flood plains and ghats of Ganga to ensure that no plastic was used for packing commodities sold. It had also asked the civic body officials to take the assistance of the police in the matter. The municipal corporation, the pollution control board and the local police were directed to place dustbins near the shops and made it mandatory for people to throw waste in waste bins. “The waste would be collected on daily basis and taken at appropriate site and dumped according to MSW Rules, 2000," the bench had said. The bench had stressed on proper disposal of the collected waste at approved sites while making use of regular spray of disinfectants mandatory.