KARACHI, Jan 16: The city district government Karachi’s magistrates on Friday failed to take action against the manufacturers and marketers of polythene bags in line with an earlier decision of the government as they lacked the legal tools required for the purpose.

Sources in the city government said that some of the deputy district officers (enjoying the status of first class magistrates as well) visited the markets in their respective areas on Friday and just warned the traders and shopkeepers to refrain from using restricted polythene bags – those having the thickness of 150 microns or less and size smaller than 18x24 inches – in the limits of Karachi.

The shopkeepers were told that the CDGK had re-launched the campaign against polythene bags and the violators of government orders would be subjected to punishment that might include imposition of fines and jail sentence or both from January 19 onwards.

Last Wednesday, the city government had indicated that it would enforce harsh penalties against those found manufacturing and marketing plastic bags of 150 microns or less in thickness from Jan 16. It was learnt that the field officers were advised to go soft against the shopkeepers on Friday as the CDGK did not get a relevant notification till Jan 15.

Authorities have negotiated afresh with Sindh’s home department and it is likely that a new notification would be received from the provincial government on Saturday (Jan 17).

In the last week of December 2008, the Sindh home department had issued a notification imposing a ban on the manufacture, sale and use of polythene bags having 300 microns or less thickness in the limits of the Karachi city government for 30 days under Section 144 of the CrPC with immediate effect.

But, according to a source, the city government did not initiate any drive in line with the provincial government’s notification as it had already developed an understanding with the plastic bag manufacturers and wholesalers that action would be delayed till Jan 15 so that the old stocks of bags up to 150 microns were exhausted.

Meanwhile, Karachi Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal, in a letter to the home department’s secretary, has requested imposition of a ban on polythene bags of 150 microns or less thickness and size less than 18x24 at the earliest.

The sources said that the nazim had informed the secretary of the home department that he had held a meeting with the prominent industrialists and business community some time back and after a debate regarding the issue, it was unanimously decided that in future, ban on polythene bags below 150 microns with the size not less than 18x24 inches, instead of below 300 microns, would be imposed.

The city government is opposed to the non-degradable polythene bags as they choke sewerage lines and drains in the city, besides harming public health and the environment.