Jammu, Apr 5 (KNN) Disappointed with the state government's decision to impose ban on the non-biodegradable disposable items, Bari Brahmana Industries Association (BBIA) from Jammu requested the Governor and Advisor to the Governor to withdraw the notification issued in this regard immediately.

The department of forest, environment and ecology issued a notification ordering complete ban on the disposable articles made of non-biodegradable material within the territorial jurisdiction of the state.

BBIA made the appeal at the meeting of the Members of the Bari Brahmana Industries Association that held under the chairmanship of Lalit Mahajan Chairman Federation of Industries Jammu & President BBIA in the presence of other members of BBIA.

Over this matter, Mahajan said “By issuing such order, the state Government has not given any reasonable thought as there are around 5-6 manufacturing industries in Jammu and around 2-3 industries in Kashmir which are manufacturing disposable article like plates, cups, bowls, glasses, spoons, forks etc. from non-biodegradable material which is mainly plastic.”

All these industries are registered as small scale industries in the state of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) by the Department of Industries and Commerce, J&K with the Investment of 80 to 100 Crores, having 3000 employees working in the these industries, he added.

Mahajan stated that these industries are the only suppliers of such items, while around 400-500 MT of such disposable articles comes from other states and sold by around 300-400 traders in the state.

The decision would affect the livelihood of around 8000-10000 families who are surviving on this industry, pointed BBIA Chairman.

He asserted “It is pertinent to mention here that the blanket ban on such items without taking any logical basis shall amount to closure of such industries and trade and will deprive them of their right to livelihood.

The Industries department in J&K has issued the permission to such industries to manufacture these items in state and also state pollution board has issued their consent to operate and manufacturing these disposable items from time to time for the last 12-15 years.

Under such circumstances industries engaged in manufacturing and supply of these disposable items has a view to put forth before the government that government should not take hasty step in this regard.

Rather should constitute high level committee of the government official and representative of Trade and Industries to arrive at a reasonable solution by adopting the latest technology for the conversion of such waste in to some usable products with the participation of Municipal Corporations of the state.

The association said “This hasty step by the government to put a blanket ban on disposable article as it will result into a financial loss of Rs 80 to Rs100 cores of investments made by manufacturer and traders of these article.”

BBIA requested the Governor Satya Pat Malik and Advisor to Governor Vijay Kumar to intervene into the matter with a request that notification imposing ban on disposable articles should be withdrawn immediately.