HYDERABAD, Nov 29: The Hyderabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry has opposed a ban imposed by the district government on the use of plastic bags from January 2006.

It said that instead of imposing the ban, the consumers should be imparted training about disposal of plastic bags.

The executive committee of the chamber at its meeting held on Monday pointed out that the district government had made a similar announcement in the year 1999-2000 but the ban could not be enforced.

Members of the executive committee argued that at present 30 small factories were engaged in the manufacture of plastic bags and livelihood of hundreds of families would be affected if the ban was imposed.

The members said that it was a domestic industry and asked the district government that if it intended to implement the ban then it should find other means to provide jobs to hundreds of people who would be rendered jobless.

The meeting proposed that instead of banning the manufacture, sale and use of plastic bags the district government should educate the consumers about the correct method of disposing of the used plastic bags.