Plastic Bag Menace Threatens Karachi Sewerage System:  Mayor

APP

Karachi: Mayor Karachi Barrister Murtaza Wahab on Monday said that plastic bags cause problems of choking sewerage lines and storm water drains in the metropolis. 

He said this during a meeting with Secretary Environment Nabila Umer and Director General of Sindh Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) Naeem Mughal during which detailed discussions were held regarding the damage caused to urban infrastructure due to plastic bags and other issues, said a statement.

He said that despite spending millions of rupees on the cleaning of drains every year, these drains get choke dues to  plastic bags.

This problem becomes acute during the rainy season. Plastic bags are also a threat to environmental pollution, so it has been decided to enact legislation at the provincial level to ban the use and sale of all types of plastic bags within the limits of Karachi, he said.

It was decided in principle that on the lines of the federal capital, legislation would be enacted in Karachi to ban the use of plastic bags made of all types of microns and steps would be taken at whatever level necessary in this regard.

Barrister Murtaza Wahab said that steps are being taken to improve the sewerage and cleanliness system in Karachi to facilitate the citizens, due the closure of the sewerage system, people have to face difficulties, complaints of sewage overflow are also mostly due to this reason, due to which the roads are also broken and traffic problems also created. 

He said that considering the impact of the ban on the use of plastic bags in Islamabad and other cities it was felt that in a big city like Karachi where there is a large sewerage network and drainage process consisting of several small and big drains.

It is necessary to ban the use of bags of all types and sizes of plastic and in this regard, citizens, especially the business community, should be provided with awareness so that all stakeholders can work together to make progress, he said.

The civic bodies will fulfill their responsibilities and take all necessary steps to protect Karachi from environmental pollution and other problems and a joint strategy in this regard will be prepared and implemented without delay, he said.