Islamabad is going to become a Plastic-Free city by August 14. Federal Cabinet has approved the Statutory Regulatory Order (SRO). According to SRO, no individual would be allowed to use plastic bags for any purpose in the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).
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Malik Amin Aslam, Advisor to Prime Minister on Climate Change, affirmed the approval of this new law by Federal Cabinet chaired by PM. He said this law is the one step ahead towards the globally implemented environmental friendly laws.
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Penalties
With the effect of SRO, government allowed to charge penalties in following order:
- Rs. 50,000 to 500,000 on manufactures
- Rs. 10,000 to 50,000 on traders
- Rs. 5,000 on citizen
As per Mr. Aslam, hefty amount has been decided as a fine so that people could know the importance. In addition, one month time limit i.e. till August 14, has been given to manufacturers & traders. After due date, strict action would be taken against any incompetence.
Pakistan & Environmental Issue
Pakistan is ranked as the 7th among those mostly affected by natural disasters. In past few decades, tremendous increase has been seen in consumption of these plastic bags. These non-biodegradable utility causes drain blockage that further leads to urban flooding & many other issues. Furthermore, they remain part of our ecosystem for more than 10 centuries.
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On the other hand, Pakistan is taking significant steps towards the well-being of the environment. Billion Tree Tsunami, Clean & Green Pakistan are some of the main initiatives of this government.
