PESHAWAR: The district administration in a joint operation with the Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday seized over 3,000 kilogrammes of polythene bags from a shop on Ashraf Road, sealed the outlet and arrested the owner.

Around 80 kilogrammes of polythene bags were also taken into possession from different shops on Phandu Road.

Additional assistant commissioner Aftab Ahmad made the raid on the shop on the directives of deputy commissioner Khalid Mahmood. The district administration has launched crackdown on use of polythene bags in light of the provincial government’s ban on the environmentally hazardous stuff.

The deputy commissioner has warned the traders against stern legal proceedings if they indulged in sale and purchase of plastic shopping bags. He has directed all the additional assistant commissioners to implement the government’s directives to this effect in letter and spirit.

Published in Dawn, February 17th, 2021