Ending the ban on plastic in Chandigarh

To:  Chandigarh Administration

As residents and outsiders who have connections with this city and as people who are worried about the quality of life issues that affect Chandigarh we are bringing you this petition regarding your notification banning plastic carry bags in the area under your jurisdiction.

1) Where as the union of India is a democracy this decision was not taken in the spirit of a democracy. Although you are constrained by the administrative model of the city this is a decision that affects everyone who lives in this city and therefore people should have had a say in this matter.

2) Plastic bags by themselves are recyclable and thus do not constitute any threat to the environment if they are properly disposed off. It is the duty of the municipal authorities and the administration to build suitable areas for such disposal. Banning plastic is thus not a solution.

3) Packaging in the country overall is still of an inferior quality. Many packaged products tend to break; leak or spill and plastic carry bags provide suitable protection against such events. Cloth or Jute bags are thus not an acceptable alternative for consumers who suffer due to inferior quality packaging.

4) Unpackaged items, which constitute the majority of the produce in India need plastic, carry bags to be sold. Dairy products, meat, poultry products like eggs etc cannot be carried effectively in paper or plastic bags.

5) Making consumers carry bags to the market limits commerce. Consumers cannot indulge in impulsive shopping and they are constrained by the number of bags that they carry to the markets. Most paper bags come without handles and cannot be used for heavier items.

6) Paper bags are being touted as an alternative but paper is made of wood thus it is equally environmentally unfriendly.

7) The right to choose of the consumer is being infringed upon by the state. It is not for the administration to decide on consumer spending.

8) Alternative means of reusing plastic bags for example finding ways to recycle plastic bags by offering discounts to consumers who want to reuse their plastic bags was never considered.

9) Neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana do not have such bans at the moment and residents of twin cities of Mohali and Panchkula continue to use plastic carry bags. With no such compulsions for their residents plastic bags continue to be a littering issue for the city of Chandigarh making this ban an unjust burden.

10) At the moment there is no practical solution to the plastic problem except recycling. Most countries in the world have no such bans and as such this ban is shortsighted and vague.

Laws should be made with foresight and after research. The Administration has failed on all accounts in implementing previous bans such as Ban on Smoking. Instead of focusing on banning activities it should work with people to minimize the effect of plastic. We urge the administration to lift this ban immediately and provide relief to the suffering people of Chandigarh. We also urge them to in future restrict themselves from implementing blanket bans without consultation with the general public.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

The Ending the ban on plastic in Chandigarh Petition to Chandigarh Administration was created by and written by Shivdeep Singh (shivo80@hotmail.com).  This petition is hosted here at www.PetitionOnline.com as a public service. There is no endorsement of this petition, express or implied, by Artifice, Inc. or our sponsors. For technical support please use our simple Petition Help form.