Ludhiana MLAs and District Administration today launched an awareness drive for the ban of single-use plastic and encouraged the people to use jute and cloth bags to protect the environment from hazardous effects of plastic.This drive was launched in the presence of MLAs Sarvjit Kaur Manuke, Rajinder Pal Kaur Chhina, Daljit Singh Grewal, Jiwan Singh Sangowal, Kulwant Singh Sidhu, Ashok Parashar Pappi, Hakam Singh Thekedar and DC Surabhi Malik.
Participating in a district level function organized in the local Government College for Girls, Bharat Nagar Chowk, MLAs and Deputy Commissioner said that single-use plastic items were used only once and thrown into the environment by the people.
They said that single-use items like earbuds, candy and ice-cream sticks, polystyrene (Thermocol for decoration) , PVC banners less than 100 microns thick, stirrers, wrapping films around sweet boxes, invitation cards, cigarette packets, plastic flags, cups, glasses, carry bags, straws, and certain kinds of plastic packaging material were banned on July 1,2022 .
They revealed that plastic waste had become a significant source of pollution as these items were non-biodegradable."The plastic does not decay and remains in the environment for several years. Later, it turns into microplastics – first entering our food sources and then the human body which is extremely harmful", they added.
MLAs and DC stressed that all the shopkeepers must also charge a price for plastic carry bags and encourage customers to bring cloth or jute bags from home which are environment-friendly and affordable. They also sought fulsome support of the people in this noble cause to save the mother earth from pollution.
Later, they also visited stalls where alternative items of single use plastic, made from corn starch were displayed.During the event, the students from local schools were also presented poems on the issue of single use plastic.Prominent among present on the occasion included AAP District Presidents Suresh Goyal (urban) and Harbhupinder Singh Dharaur (Rural), Senior AAP leaders Dr KNS Kang, Sharn Pal Singh Makkar, Gurjit Singh Gill, ADCs Amit Kumar Panchal, Anita Darshi, GCG Principal Dr Sneh Lata and several others.