Stop use of plastic banners, poll officials told

By Afshan Yasmeen

BANGALORE, NOV. 6. The Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) has taken a serious note of the use of banners and buntings made of recycled plastic and polythene material in the campaign for polls to the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) Council scheduled for November 11. On Monday, it wrote to the State Election Commission (SEC) urging it to direct the candidates to stop use of polythene material which is less than 20 microns.

The KSPCB has requested the SEC to incorporate in the code of conduct for polls in the future, a directive restricting the use of recycled plastic.

The board will test a few samples of banners and buntings to find out if they are less than 20 microns. ``The aftermath of the BMP Council polls will have a serious effect on the environment. Most of the recycled plastic used in publicity material is non- biodegradable, and is likely to increase

pollution levels in the City,'' The KSPCB Chairman, Mr. Upendra Tripathy, told The Hindu on Tuesday.

He expressed concern over the use of such material by all political parties, especially at a time when the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) and the board are seriously contemplating imposing a ban on the use of recycled plastic and polythene bags.

The BMP, on its part, is helpless. In the absence of any comprehensive policy against the use of non-biodegradable

material, it is not in a position to restrict the use of plastic banners and buntings. ``But we are concerned,'' the BMP Commissioner, Mr. Ashok M. Dalwai, said.

``The candidates should themselves realise that use of such material will affect the environment. We are making efforts to discourage use of recycled plastic in the campaign,'' he added.

``The BMP squads have already started pulling down buntings and banners put up in violation of the Karnataka Public Places Disfigurement (Prevention) Act. Besides, we are also booking cases against the violators,'' he said.

Candidates of all political parties have flouted the norms on the use of publicity material, announced by the BMP. Polythene flags and buntings of all parties can be seen hung across roads, in spite of a specific instruction from the BMP Commissioner against it.

According to Mr. K. Srikanth, proprietor of ``Election Special'', an agency which has been selling election paraphernalia for the past 12 years, use of polythene flags and buntings in election campaigns has been on the rise in the past seven years.

``Earlier, paper flags and buntings were used. But, there was a demand for polythene flags and buntings as publicity material made out of paper gets spoiled in rain. Although the latter is cheaper, candidates prefer to use polythene flags and buntings,'' he said.

On the negative effects of polythene flags and buntings, Mr. Srikanth claimed that the quality of polythene being used was of a high grade.

The outgoing BMP Council adopted a resolution urging the Government and the KSPCB to impose a ban on the use of recycled plastic and polythene bags. The Standing Committee on Health proposed to chalk out a comprehensive action plan, in consultation with the KSPCB, to stop the manufacture of products from recycled plastic and create awareness about the harmful effects of such products.

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