KARACHI Nov 11: The City District Government Karachi has decided to ban polythene bags from June 30, 2004, permanently, and the paper, cloth and thick plastic bags would be promoted, which could be reused.

This was decided at a high-level meeting presided over by city Nazim Naimatullah Khan on Tuesday, which expressed its concern over increasing pollution in the city and decided to take steps to deal with this problem.

The CDGK had been receiving complaints of chocking of gutters and accumulation of garbage, caused due to polythene bags, which were also causing environmental pollution, the meeting observed.

Construction of garbage shifting stations in different parts of the city was also decided, which had proved successful at the last Eidul Azha.

The meeting was informed that light vehicles would shift the garbage to these stations from different areas, which would be latter transported to landfill sites by heavy vehicles.

Another landfill site would be established outside Landhi to overcome the shortage of such sites in the city, for which directives have been issued, so that work could be started immediately.—PPI