Govt to tighten screw on polybag use

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Efforts to end the illegal use of non-biodegradable polythene bags in Bangladesh have been frustrated by a lack of adequate manpower and the dearth of dedicated mobile courts, say authorities, but the government is now set to take tougher measures against the continued production and spread of the environmental menace, reports bdnews24.com.
"Delays in implementing the mobile court drive against the banned polythene bags is one of the main reasons behind their continued use," Muhammad Shahjahan Mia, technical director of the department of environment, told the news agency Tuesday.
In 2002, the government banned both production and use of 'thin' polythene bags of the type that are still widely found in shops and markets throughout Bangladesh.
Mia said a recent government decision to kick-start mobile court drives, which have been stalled since the caretaker administration's separation of the judiciary in Nov 2007, would add much needed impetus to environmental protection initiatives.
The DoE official's comments followed a recent call by the parliamentary standing committee on environment for tougher measures against the production and use of the illegal polybags.
The committee, in a meeting held on Aug 6, said despite the ban on their manufacture and use, they continued to create environmental havoc in the capital and elsewhere by clogging water bodies and drainage systems.