EPA launches crackdown on plastic bags
The documentary made by members of the Lyari Girls Cafe highlights the hazards of using plastic bags. As part of the initia-tive, the girls have also distributed roughly 11,000 handmade bags and aim to distribute 4,000 more in coming days. PHOTOS: EXPRESS
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Punjab has initiated a significant crackdown across the province, conducting 10,873 inspections and confiscating 6,627kg of plastic bags below 75 microns, Express Tribune has learned.
Sources within EPA revealed that special teams carried out these raids over the past fifteen days, including 1,460 inspections in the provincial capital, where 956 kg of plastic bags were seized.
An EPA spokesperson told The Express Tribune that to combat plastic pollution, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has taken political ownership and imposed a ban on the production and use of plastic bags from June 5.
The chief minister has directed the environment department to monitor all registered premises to ensure compliance with the new regulations, and to conduct vigilant operations to ensure no unregistered plastic bag production units are operating.
Director General of Punjab Imran Hamid Sheikh said that the initiative is supported by legislative measures and stakeholder engagement to eliminate any gaps in implementing the plastic-free Punjab program.