Polythene sneaking out

The last government banned the use of polythene bags by shopkeepers and customers alike. It was indeed a timely, thoughtful and pragmatic move. It yielded some positive results. For quite sometime now, however, polythene bags have made a comeback. Quietly bags are being manufactured by many known and unknown factories and are put on sale; otherwise how could it have surfaced. It is now being freely used by small shopkeepers and city's fancy shopping malls alike. Manufacturing companies also package their consumer items in polythene wrappings. The material is now being used in various shapes and ways in an attempt to ward off attention of the authorities.
It is a finished chemical product and its random use and senseless dumping has become yet another factor in our already degraded environment.
The city's environment is already under threat due to various other factors of pollution, both at ground levels and in the upper atmosphere, surely we do not need yet another one to add to the long list.
We thus strongly urge the concerned ministry and the DCC to revive the campaign against use of polythene, not just in the city alone but also across the country. Alongside, an extensive awareness building campaign should be undertaken through the print and the electronic media against the ill effects of polythene that mesh with soil not to be dissolved and thereby cause water logging and other health hazards.
Regular monitoring and tracking down of factories that continue to indulge in producing the banned product are imperative. Any one found guilty should be punished. Action should be taken against sellers, too. At the same time, we must come up with cheaper and environment friendly alternatives for wrapping purposes.
It is our strong belief that a reversal of the trend should be quite possible given the public support the ban had enjoyed when originally slapped.