The Hindu : New Delhi News : Delhi BJP welcomes court order on plastic bags

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Tuesday, Aug 12, 2008
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Delhi BJP welcomes court order on plastic bags

Staff Reporter

‘Sheila Govt. is oblivious to the dangers posed to environment’

NEW DELHI: Delhi BJP president Harsh Vardhan has welcomed the recent order of the Delhi High Court asking the State Government to extend the ban on use of plastic bags to all markets and shopping centres in the Capital.

Dr. Vardhan, who recently launched the “Green Shopper” campaign to promote jute bags jointly with Green Forum and the Catholic Archdiocese of Delhi, said the Sheila Dikshit Government was totally oblivious to the dangers posed to the environment by plastic bags. “Apart from issuing advertisements exhorting Delhiites to use jute and cotton bags, the Chief Minister never appeared serious about implementing the existing laws. The Delhi High Court had issued strict instructions in 2006 and 2007 but these were totally ignored by the State Government.”

Stating that it was a shame that Delhi had not recognised the plastic menace that choked drains and led to the deaths of animals, besides destroying the eco-system, Dr. Vardhan said: “Many world capitals had banned plastic bags of all description.”

Pointing out that the Delhi Development Report published in 2006 had indicated that the municipal waste generated in the city exceeded 6,000-6,500 metric tonnes, Dr. Vardhan said the report had clearly admitted that the increasing use of plastics, particularly polythene bags, has imposed an additional burden and complexity to solid waste management.

“It is shocking that the same Government that had admitted in an official publication that polythene bags were a burden on waste management and issued advertisements admitting to their destructive impact on the environment had not taken the step to ban their use,” he added.

Stating that jute bags were cheap and environment-friendly, Dr. Vardhan said the Government should encourage their use so that the poor people can benefit from making and selling them in market places.

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