Plastic ban evokes positive response in Haridwar, Rishikesh

The blanket ban on the use of plastic of any kind in Rishikesh and Haridwar imposed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT), which came into effct on Monday, saw positive response on the banks of Ganga. Barring stray cases of defaulters in remote areas, almost all shops on main ghat of the holy cities avoided the sale and purchase of plastic. 

On December 11 last year, the NGT had imposed a complete ban on the use of plastic of any kind from Gomukh to Haridwar along the Ganga, while slapping a penalty of Rs 5,000 per day on erring hotels, dharamshalas and ashrams spewing waste into the river.

“After the ban on camping on the Ganga banks, the ban on plastic will act as channel in rejuvenating the river. The NGT is playing its role well in checking hotels, inns and resorts that are spoiling the sanctity of the Ganga by polluting it in several ways. We need to ban gutkha and cigarette too near the Ganga banks to expidite clean Ganga project,” said one of the assistant professors at SGRR College.     

The district administration with the help of the police, civic authorities and voluntary organisations on Monday inspected various places to check the use of plastic.  

Various business organisations in the cities carry awareness campaign in support of the NGT order. Jhanda Sabha in Haridwar has been active in this mission for the past one month. Similarly, Sewa Samithi carried out awareness programme at Har-ki-Pauri in Haridwar. However, many shops in Haridwar and Rishikesh are selling plastic water bottles, as per reliable sources. 

“After the NGT order, the number of plastic bags is almost negligible in Rishikesh. However, some villagers are using it as they are unaware of the ban. But still plastic water bottles are openly being sold in the market,” said  a receptionist at the Swami Shukdevananad Trust at Swaragashram (Rishikesh).