Authorities in the frontier town of Kupwara look the other ways as use of banned plastics in shops and restaurants is rampant, residents say.
Ploythene bags and other non-biodegradable plastic items aresold openly in the main market of the town.
“Authorities hardly bother about these things which degradethe environment. These shopkeepers know that the authorities are not going totake any action against them that is why they are selling them openly,” saidFayaz Ahmad, a teacher and resident of Bumhama.
Fast-food restaurants in the Kupwara town are also usingmany of the banned plastic items.
“The restaurants use the non-biodegradable items likespoons, plates, tumblers and cups and they charge for them,” said IshtiyaqAhmad, a resident of the Kupwara town.
A wholesaler at Jamia Road, Kupwara said he regularlysupplies the non-biodegradable items to his clients, which include restaurants,hotels, and food outlets across the town.
“The ban was imposed just on paper by the authorities. Wehaven’t faced any action from the concerned officials since the ban wasimposed, they don’t do inspections regularly, and it goes well with us,” MujeebAhmad, the wholesaler said.
“I bought the foam plates from Delhi and sell them here. Isell almost fifty thousand pieces in one season as hundreds of shopkeepers fromvillages came here to buy these products.”
About half a dozen traders in the main market openly sellthe banned plastic products to whoever comes looking for them. They claim thatthe demand increases during marriage seasons.
A restriction on sale and use of the non-biodegradable itemsin Jammu and Kashmir officially came into force last month when the departmentof forest, environment and ecology issued a notification ordering a completeban on the disposable articles.
“Government imposed complete ban on (the) articles made ofnon-biodegradable material listed in the schedule of the said Act, within theterritorial jurisdiction of the state,” a government notification said,referring to a law under which the ban was ordered.
The articles include disposable plates, cups, bowls,tumblers, spoons, forks and knives.
Executive Municipal Committee officer Kupwara, Farooq Ahmadsaid that “Due to the parliamentary election action has been delayed in thedistrict.”
“We will continue the process to ban the disposable items inthe district otherwise we have already implemented the order in districtKupwara and have taken action against the shopkeepers and distributors who sellthese kinds of disposable articles,” Ahmad said.