Polythene menace
Sir,
The use of
polythene bags for bringing various types of
articles including milk, curd, eatables, fruits
and vegetables etc has become a common thing
now-a-days among the general public despite
knowing fully well the harmful effects of its
use. The use of recycled coloured polythene bags
particularly is a sure health hazard and thus its
use need to be totally abandoned.
We all know that
the manufacturing of these polythene bags
particularly the recycled coloured ones involves
the use of toxic and chemicals that contaminates
the food articles if carried or stored in these
polythene bags which in turn proves unhygienic
and mal-nutrient for human consumption.
Besides, it has
other disadvantages in terms of adding to the
insanitation in the city due to the often choking
of drain in the lanes and bylanes thus causing
spill over of liquid waste and filth that means a
lot of inconvenience for the general public.
These polythene bags many a time are eaten by the
claimed/unclaimed cattle roaming the streets in
search of their food from heaps of garbages etc
which could at times prove fatal for them. Also
the burning of these polythene causes the worst
types of pollution thus resulting into further
degradation of an environment around us.
Keeping in view
its harmful effects, the State Govt has about a
month back righty banned the use of these
polythene bags with effect from January 2002. Its
agency, the Jammu Municipality Jammu is doing
good to the general public by creating awareness
among them through its advertisements in the
local dailies.
Most of us still
remember that there was a time when people used
to visit the markets for shopping carrying cloth
made bags. Vegetables and fruits were often
brought in these cloth bags. And metalled
utensils were used for fetching milk, curd and
other eatables etc; This practice habit was quite
a healthy one and sans of any ill effects. There
is thus a definite need to give a thought to the
restoration of this practice forth with. Its not
that this practice has altogether been given up
by the people. We may still find people, I would
say, health conscious ones, who are still using
the hand made or stitched cloth bags for fetching
vegetables and fruits and utensils for bringing
milk and curd and other eatables etc, though the
number of such people has dwindled over a period
of time.
Therefore, I am of
the view that ultimately the people will have to
decide to give up the use of these polythene bags
at the earliest in order to save themselves from
its menacing and hazardous effects, though the
responsibility for creating an awakening,
awareness among the general public rests with the
Govt and its agencies.
Yours etc...
Ravi Sharma
Shakti Nagar, Jammu.
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