Traders hit by plastic ban, NGO distributes paper bags

DEHRADUN: A city-based NGO is distributing

paper bags

to shopkeepers in the city after a high court order banned plastic in the state. After the ban, which came into effect from January 11, local traders had claimed that alternatives to plastic bags were costly and making a dent on their profit margin. The NGO named

Just open yourself

(JOY) will distribute 12,000 paper bags to shopkeepers in markets of Dehradun.

“We have taken this initiative to raise awareness and curb use of plastic bags in the city. The bags have been made by a local dealer who used old newspapers,” said Jai Sharma, member, JOY.

Pritam Singh, a shopkeeper said, “The lack of an alternative to polythene is our biggest concern because nagar nigam is also carrying out checks and violators have to pay fine.”

Dr Kailash Gunjyal

,

health officer

, nagar nigam told TOI, “In the past months, we have seized close to 300kg of plastic and have collected Rs 2.5 lakh in fine.”