PESHAWAR: The District Administration Buner with collaboration with the district govt. has introduced bio degradable shopping bags to make the district plastic bags free on the eve of New Year.
In this regard the district administration has chalked out a comprehensive plan by engaging all local resources including three tiers of local government, especially the village councils. In this connection a ceremony was organized by district administration at Swari, Buner on Tuesday.
Senior Minister for local Government and Rural Development Inayatullah was the chief guest on this occasion. Besides Minister for Zakat Habibur Rehman, Commissioner Malakand Zaheerul Islam, District Nazim Buner Dr. Obaidullah, Deputy Commissioner Buner Zariful Muaani, District Naib Nazim, Tehsil Nazim, Village council Nazims and local elders were also present. Minister for local govt. lauded the efforts of district administration Buner for introducing bio degradable and environment friendly bags and said that this initiative will be a role model for the rest of the province. He advised that the district administration and district govt. to take such measures to bring the use of plastic bags to a zero level. He said that the present provincial govt has established an effective and unique local govt. system and up to now Rs 80 billion have been released to all tiers of local govt. in the province while from 2001 to 2014 only Rs. 9 billion were released all to local govts in the province.
The Deputy Commissioner while giving details of the initiative said that the initiative will be implemented in two phases. In the first phase, the shopkeepers will be given degradable bags free of cost through their respective village councils. He added that the purpose is to familiarize the local shopkeepers with this environment friendly initiative. He said that in the second phase section 144 will be promulgated throughout the district, on the use of conventional plastic bags. Zariful Maani said that clean Buner was on the top of his agenda and for this purpose cleanliness drives have been launched in March, and October 2017, with the collaboration of elected village council members.
He added that during the campaigns several dumping sites were identified and operationalized in the district with the help of TMAs, while land for dumping sites for industrial waste has also been separately identified. He disclosed that tree plantation campaign was launched and 150 million trees were planted under billion trees Project.
Published in Daily Times, January 3rd 2018.
