Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 2: Demanding complete ban on single use plastic soft drink and packaged water bottles in J&K, vice chairman of “We The Human” Forum and Retired Principal Secretary Law K Y S Manhas, has asked people and the local Government authorities to wage a war against plastic pollution caused by the MNCs by pumping in attractive single use plastic soft-drink and packaged water bottles in our state.
“Jammu and Kashmir, being a prominent eco-tourist and pilgrim- tourist state, with lacs of tourists visiting Kashmir valley, the holy cave of Mata Vaishno Devi throughout the year and Shri Amar Nath Cave during 3-4 months, these multi-national companies are pumping in crores of single use plastic soft drink and packaged water bottles in our state, every year. And, this is a bitter truth that J&K State is far behind other states of the country with regard to solid waste management,” Manhas said, adding that more than fifty percent of all such plastic bottles become serious cause for polluting our environment including our glaciers.
Manhas further said that our flora, our fauna, our rivers, our hills, our environment, all, are getting polluted; with local Government authorities watching the erosion of our environment either helplessly or have just closed their eyes like an ostrich.
“Although, the State Government banned use of single use plastic soft drink or packaged water bottles in all Government offices, yet this is not being implemented strictly in all Government offices,” the Retired bureaucrat said. He said the Department of Forest, Environment and Ecology J&K Government took another welcoming step by banning all non bio-degradable disposables like plastic/thermocol plates, bowls, cups, glasses, spoons, knives, forks etc but the imposed ban lacks implementation as most of the food restaurants are still using non bio-degradable disposables for take away or home delivery orders.
People of the State, the JMC, the SMC, the J&KSPCB, the Department of Forest, Environment & Ecology have to wake up and intervene in this grave situation by demanding and imposing complete ban on single use plastic soft drink and packaged water bottles in our State, Manhas asserted.
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