PESHAWAR, July 29: The NWFP government will ban the manufacturing and use of plastic bags in the provincial capital and some other parts of the province, official sources told Dawn.

To begin with action against the use of plastic bags, the provincial authorities concerned have been instructed to impose a ban, initially, on the use and manufacturing of black plastic bags in Peshawar and in another district of the province.

"Slowly and gradually the ban would be extended to all of the province and would cover all types of plastic bags," said a senior officer of the NWFP environmental protection agency.

The lead role to control the nuisance caused by extensive use of polythene bags would be played by the local government and rural development department, NWFP. District governments and town municipal administrations would be engaged in implementing the action against plastic bags.

Instructions to the effect of introducing the ban were issued to the authorities concerned during a high-level meeting held in June, last. Presided over by the provincial chief secretary, the meeting was attended by senior representatives of the environment department, local government and rural development department and the environmental protection agency (EPA).

"Minutes of the meeting have been issued and the ball is now in the local government and rural development department's court," said Dr Bashir Khan, director of EPA, NWFP.

Measures to gradually put an end to the use of polythene bags have been necessitated because of increasing environmental hazards resulted by their unsafe disposal on the part of end- users.

"Polythene bags cannot be recycled," said a deputy director of the EPA. Experts said that for being non-perishable, plastic bags were undermining soil fertility and blocking sewage system in Peshawar and its surrounding areas.

"We pay Rs200 after every eight to 10 days to a sweeper only for the purpose of removing plastic bags from drains in our locality," said Shujaat Ali Khan, a resident of Street 7, Canal Town, Peshawar.

Unsafe practices to dispose of solid waste [without separating plastic bags] by civic bodies and garbage dealers, say experts, are adding to atmospheric pollution in the provincial capital where air pollution has attained alarming proportions.

Situation in the rest of the province is also not different than Peshawar as not in any of the districts safe disposal of solid waste, particularly plastic bags, is being practised.

Black plastic bags, said Mr Liaquat Ali, of the EPA, involved hazardous chemicals and when burnt during disposal of solid waste caused more harm to atmosphere than plastic in any other colour.

"Even carrying food items in black plastic bags is not safe," said Mr Ali, a deputy director of EPA. Latest measures against plastic bags would come from the provincial government after a gap of some six years.

In 1997 the PML-N government in the province, led by then chief minister Mehtab Ahmed Abbasi, had initiated efforts to put an end to the use of plastic bags. A piece of legislation had also been prepared in this regard. However, the move fizzled out after manufacturers of polythene bags and plastic products moved the Peshawar High Court against the government's measures.

"The legislation, prepared by the local government and rural development department, mistakenly mentioned the ban on polythene products in place of polythene bags resulting in much hue and cry among manufacturing sector dealing in polythene products," said a senior EPA officer.

The then government's intentions were clear as it only wanted to ban plastic bags, maintained the officer, but the error in the draft law hindered implementation of the move.

The decision makers, added the sources, were more careful this time round. As they had decided to begin with the move from two districts - Peshawar and an other - to avoid a backlash.

Official sources said that Peshawar received plastic bags from factories in Punjab and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata). Besides, plastic bags manufactured in Iran are also available in the local market finding their way illegally from Afghanistan to Fata.

"It would be a difficult task to ban their manufacturing as it only requires a small room of 8*10 to install machinery used in manufacturing plastic bags," said a senior official. No official agency in the provincial capital, said the official, knew how many such factories were functioning in the provincial capital.