Defying district administration and Municipal Corporation many retailers as well as the vendors are still using plastic bags to pack items to be sold. And this is discernible across Dehradun under the nose of those who are mandated to stamp out such usages.From Tibetan Market to Paltan Bazaar, vendors are seen to be selling fruits and vegetables in plastic/polythene carry bags. “Using plastic bags are more convenient as they are cheaper than paper bags. They can be re-used too,” said fruit vendor Mahesh. “The customers ask for bags. Plastic bags are easy to carry and they are easily available too,” said another vendor trading near Paltan Bazaar.
“A pack of plastic packs costs around `20 or `10, depending upon the size and it contains more pieces than the pack of paper bags or cloth bags which costs above `40 or `50,” said another retailer of bags and polythene based in Paltan Bazaar.“The shopkeepers provide us the material in plastic bags. Whether it is food or toiletries, everything is sold in polythene bags,” said housewife Vijeta Singh who frequently shops from Kanwali Road and Saharanpur Road.
Some of the major retailers of the city like Vishal Mega Mart, Easy Day, Big Bazaar and other departmental stores are also violating the norms. “We use plastic bags but the people who demand the items to be given in paper bags are provided things in them as well,” said Anil Goyal who owns a departmental store in the city.While many of the retailers and vendors seemed to unaware of harmful effects of using polythene bags, few of the shopkeepers and major food outlets have stopped using them. “People have now become aware of its harmful effects and have stopped using bags. Either they bring their own carry bags or they demand things to be packed in paper bags.
This is good for all of us,” said another departmental store owner Vinod Gupta.“Nothing can be more dangerous than eatables kept in plastic bags. Strict actions should be taken to stop this and even vendors should be made aware of this fact,” said school student Mohit Sharma. “We do not get food items in plastic bags from restaurants like McDonald’s. The vendors should be stopped from selling the same in such bags too,” he added.