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Ban on polybags in Darjeeling
Times of India 30may01
DARJEELING - The Board of municipal councillors of
Darjeeling have recently passed a resolution to ban the use of
polythene packets and polybags within the municipal area and has
decided to seize such bags if found illegally stored or used.
The action to ban polybags would be taken from June 1. Offenders
would be fined to the tune of Rs 500, under legal provisions.
The drive to ban polythene and polybags was started by the public
health department in 1998, but could not be made effective because
it was not approved by the board of municipal councillors, according
to a civic official.
Darjeeling being essentially a tourist centre, the entire economy
of the town depends on tourism, and unless the town is kept clean,
the number of tourists may dwindle, officials say. It is reported
that due to the massive use of plastics, polybags and household
waste, drains, jhoras and sewage lines are chocked regularly.
Sewerage lines in Darjeeling were constructed in 1935, during
the British era, for 10,000 people and 2,000 houses, but now the
pressure on the town has increased six-fold with more than 12,000
houses. As per 2001 census, the population of Darjeeling town
exceeds 100,000.
According to vice chairman of Darjeeling municipality Mani Kala
Tamang: "We do not have to think of an alternative because
now the people are conscious of the ill-effects of the polybags
and the public should co-operate with us."
According to reports, in Dr Zakir Hussakin Basti, the drains are
completely blocked and the municipal workers engaged in removing
the obstructions in the drains are facing a tough time. Sanitary
inspector A.B.Rai said: "The sewage and solid wastes have
started percolating inside houses in some areas."
Darjeeling municipality had prepared an integrated development
scheme in 1994-95. A solid and liquid waste management scheme
at an estimted cost of Rs 20 crore had already eben submitted
to the state government, "but it has not been implemented
and the government is lending a deaf ear to the problems,"
a municipal official said.
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