Chairman J&K Pollution Control Committee, Suresh Chugh, today chaired a meeting of Polythene Carry Bags Manufacturers Association here at JKPCC, HeadQuarter, Jammu regarding recently promulgated Government of India Notification G.S.R. 57 (E) dated 12/08/2021, which has banned the ‘Manufacturing, Stocking, Distribution, Sale and use of Polythene Carry Bags below 75 microns thickness and Non-Woven plastic carry bags below 60 Gram per square meter (GSM) with effect from September 30, 2021 as per recent Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules 2021.The meeting was attended by B.M. Sharma, Member Secretary, J&K PCC, Dr. Syed Nadeem Hussain, IFS, Regional Director, Jammu, Ashok Gupta, AEE, Divisional Officers Jammu South, Jammu North, Samba South, Samba North, Scientist-A In-charge plastic Waste Management and Polythene Manufacturers Association headed by its president Rakesh Kumar Gupta. In the meeting B.M. Sharma, Member Secretary, informed association that from 30th September 2021 polythene carry bags below 75 microns thickness are going to be banned in entire country including the UT of Jammu and Kashmir and advised Association to clear their old stocks by 30th of September 2021 since the production stocking and sale of polythene carry bags and non-woven plastic carry bags below 60 Gsm shall be banned in the UT with effect from 30th September 2021. He also sought help from the association to inform the PCC regarding illegal stocking/sale of polythene carry bags, so that action shall be taken against defaulters.
Rakesh Kumar Gupta, President of Polythene Manufacturer Association, requested the Chairman to involve Deputy Commissioners and Police department for implementing complete ban of polythene carry bags below 75 microns and generate awareness among the masses regarding use of illegal polythene carry bags and he assured full Corporation from association. He also requested for the rigorous penalization of the end user of illegal polythene. Chugh, Chairman, JK PCC while appreciating continuous co-operation and support extended by the Polythene Association in the successful implementation of the PWM Rules, acknowledged the menace of the sale and use of illegal polythene, all which is being clandestinely and illegally imported into the UT of Jammu and Kashmir. He urged the association to actively involve their members in checking this menace by providing credible and actionable feedback and information on the sale and use of illegal polythene in the market.He also directed the association to furnish self declaration regarding pending stock of polythene carry bags above 50 microns which shall subsequently be verified by the officers of Pollution Control Committee within their unit premises Informing the association, Chairman JK PCC asserted that massive awareness program have been carried out by JKPCC against the use of illegal polythene in the past and the same shall be continued in the future as well.