Close on the heels of ‘World Environment Day’ on June 5, the Forest and Environment Department has pressed the paddle for action to target effluents of different forms.
The department is about to issue a final notification banning all kinds of polybags in operation by curbing their production, trade and consumption. “60 days’ time line given to anyone flagging objections to the notice of the Jharkhand State Pollution Control Board (JSPCB) ended on Monday last. We are looking into some of the objections. After all of those are amicably settled, a final order about polythene ban would be issued,” said a senior official of the Forest, Environment and Climate Change Department.
JSPCB had released a notice in this regard banning every kind of polybag, including those below 50 micron across the State. “The Forest and Environment Department has been made a nodal agency for implementing the ban. Once the notification is issued, competent officials of the district administration and municipal corporations would be designated to prohibit the use and for taking penal action,” said Sanjay Kumar Suman, Member Secretary with the State pollution watchdog.
The department is also fine tuning its course of action to be taken against the violators through various other concerned Departments. It is leant that besides the urban local bodies and district administration, the Industry Department would also be involved.
“There is a complete supply chain starting from manufacturing to sale and use at various shops as far as polythene is concerned. Thus we have to work in tandem with all the related agencies, especially Industry Department which issues licenses to set up units. Besides, we are to look at Transport as well to chock supply of polybags coming from other parts of the country into Jharkhand. We are in the process of sending
letters to all those Departments,” said a JSPCB official, though he did not disclose a deadline when the blanket ban is going to be clamped.
Apart from plastic ban, the Government has also hinted to work on curbing carbon emission coming out from vehicles and other green house gases from air conditioners. “We have started the process of forming a task force as suggested by the Chief Minister on the World Environment Day. Deliberations are on about its job and procedure to operate by setting up coordination among all the departments,” said Principal Secretary Sukhdev Singh.
Inputs suggest that the forum would take stock of the action done by different departments in cutting emissions at their level and quantify measures taken through schemes they roll out.
“Every Department has a defined working area. The task force would besides, explaining some common dos and don’ts would measure the steps taken in the direction of environmental protection in their respective fields,” said an official.