Jammu, Dec 14: Minister for Forests and Environment Mian Altaf on Tuesday directed the enforcement agencies to reinforce blanket ban on the use of polythene bags in the state, an official spokesman said.
 Chairing a review meeting of State Pollution Control Board (PCB) here Minister, according to the spokesman, took a strong note of the re-emergence of polythene in the market.
 The Minister asked the Board authorities to launch a fresh drive and take strict action against those involved in the manufacturing sale and abetment of the use of plastic bags. He asked the PCB to involve the urban bodies, including, Municipal Corporations in the capital cities of Srinagar and Jammu.  
 Cautioning officials against any laxity, he said the unbridled use of plastic had started taking heavy toll on the state’s fragile environment and there is a need to act before the situation spills out of control. He called for evolving a close coordination between   various agencies involved in checking and regulation of the activities that create pollution of various kind, including, contamination of   water bodies, air and environmental pollution.
 The Minister also directed the Board to take measures to enforce inclinators at both private and government health institutions and initiate action against those who fail to adhere to the set norms of the disposal of hospital waste. About the government hospitals, the minister asked the Board to take up the matter with the management for early compliance of the set norms. He also directed against issuing any fresh permission for brick kilns and stone crushers.

Lastupdate on : Tue, 14 Dec 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 14 Dec 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 15 Dec 2010 00:00:00 IST