The state government, under J&K State Non-Bio-degradable Material (Management, Handling and Disposal) Act 2007, imposed a complete ban in 2008 on the manufacture, stocking, distribution, sale and use of polythene bags.

However, in March 2017, the government amended the Act and issued an order lifting the ban on the polythene, having thickness more than 50 microns.

Talking with The Kashmir Monitor, Member Secretary, Pollution Control Board (PCB), Sameer Bharti, admitted that polythene is being checked at Lakhanpur and Lower Munda to know the parameters.

However, he didn’t rule out the use of polythene bags having thickness below 50 microns.

“There are so many departments who have to implement the ban on the ground including the municipality and Police. The checking of parameters should be ensured on the receiving end as well,” said Bharti.

He said that polythene bags not possessing the name of the manufacturing company and thickness are not to be used.

“In order to implement the ban in letter and spirit, all the departments have to make efforts,” he added.

Environmental Lawyer, Nadeem Qadri said blanket ban should be imposed on polythene.

He said that it was not possible for a common man to differentiate between less or more than 50 microns.

He said the amendment made in the Act needed ratification by the high court.

“Allowing the use of polythene bags, having thickness above 50 microns is violation of the court order. The amendment should have been brought into the notice of the high court. After all, it was the high court that asked the government to implement the ban in letter and spirit, while hearing the PIL filed by Tahir Gillani,” he said.

Majeed Kak, a renowned environmentalist, while seeking complete ban on polythene, said that the ban in the present form was useless.

“A common man can’t differentiate, on the basis of microns. We don’t have any mechanism to check the thickness,” he said. “Polythene in any thickness is harmful.”