Berhampur: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s intervention has been sought to strictly enforce the ban on single use plastic and polythene materials in Berhampur of Odisha’s Ganjam district.
“Though the state government has banned single use plastic items and polythene bags since 2019 due to the threat posed to both the environment and health of human beings and animals, its tangible enforcement is still elusive. The entire Berhampur city is flooded with these materials,” said Sudhir Kumar Raut, chairman of Aryabhatta Foundation which has been spearheading the campaign against the polythene menace for the last 16 years.
“We have appealed to the Chief Minister to direct the district and civic administrations and the enforcement agencies to initiate necessary actions to curb the menace to save the future generations,” said Sudhir. The Foundation submitted a memorandum to the chief minister through the RDC, Southern Division, Berhampur on Friday.
Sudhir said the chief secretary had directed the district collectors to implement the ban strictly in August 2022 after relaxation of COVID restrictions. Though the pandemic was managed effectively in the city, the polythene menace continues to hold sway over the city, he added.
Besides choking and clogging the city drainage system resulting in artificial flooding during monsoon and unseasonal rains, herbivorous animals, especially the stray cows and bulls, are falling prey to non-biodegradable polythene, he said.
Echoing the sentiment of Sudhir, another expert said plastic debris dispersion may have a variety of effects on the overall ecology, Olive Ridley turtles and fish production. “Plastic debris is introduced into the coastal and marine ecosystem directly in the form of plastic items. After the people throw the hazardous materials into the rivers, sea, and beaches, those flow into the ocean through rivers, sewage and storm water, causing harm to marine biology,” said Prof Pratap Kumar Mohanty of Department of Marine Science and chairman of PG Council, Berhampur University.
Sources said since the reusable polythene bags are costly, the traders prefer the low quality banned products. Even the eco-friendly bags are not being manufactured in Odisha.
