Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly’s Committee on Environment on Thursday urged the government to take stringent measures to curb the use of plastic, particularly single-use plastic, across the Union Territory.
Expressing serious concern over the growing menace of plastic pollution in J-K, the Committee, chaired by MLA Kulgam M Y Tarigami, observed that indiscriminate use of plastic had emerged as a major environmental challenge, adversely affecting public health, polluting water bodies and degrading the ecological balance of the region.
“On behalf of the Committee, I respectfully appeal to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to kindly consider issuing an Executive Order for imposing a comprehensive ban on the use of plastic across the Union Territory in the larger interest of environmental protection, public health and sustainable development,” Tarigami said in a statement.
The chairman called upon the Jammu and Kashmir Pollution Control Committee (JKPCC) to intensify enforcement measures and ensure strict implementation of laws aimed at eliminating the use of single-use plastics, especially in and around tourist destinations, religious shrines and environmentally sensitive areas.
During deliberations, committee members unanimously stressed the need for coordinated action by the Pollution Control Committee, Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) and Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) to make JK plastic-free, the statement said.
The committee urged government departments and public institutions to discourage the use of plastic in official meetings, offices and public functions.
