The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) confiscated 1270 kilograms of plastic shopping bags with a thickness of less than 75 microns, which have been banned by the Punjab government. EPD Assistant Director Hameed Akhtar informed APP that department teams have conducted inspections of 871 shops from June 5 until now. The teams have imposed a total fine of Rs 10,000 on shopkeepers for violating the ban.
The teams were conducting daily inspections to enforce the provincial government orders, as plastic also contributes to environmental pollution,”
he added. Hameed Akhtar further stated that the department was working hard to provide a pollution-free environment to citizens, and all possible steps were being taken in this regard. Earlier, the Lahore High Court (LHC) restrained departmental stores across the province from using plastic shopping bags for the sale of essential commodities. Justice Shahid Kareem of the high court issued this restraining order on a petition filed by Advocate Salman Khan Niazi.
