Use of plastic in polls to be curtailed

Guwahati, Mar 22 (UNI) The Election Commission(EC) has directed all political parties to refrain from using plastic and polythene in their campaigning process.

The EC maintained that the use of plastic was detrimental to the environment and would create problems in its safe disposal once the electioneering process was over.

The move is sure to be hailed not only by the environment awareness bodies but also by the masses. With the elections in the state just before the monsoons, plastic and polythene materials used for campaigning purposes are likely to create a menace.

Last Lok Sabha elections in the state saw large-scale use of plastic banners and posters. As banners and posters in plastic were more durable and could be produced in bulk at lesser expense compared to the conventional cloth, political parties switched on to it in haste.

But with environment hazards on the rise due to this rising trend, the EC, this time, has directed the parties to minimise the use of plastic.

The direction had been communicated to the parties, who have received it in good spirit.

Congress spokesperson Bobeeta Sharma said, ''We have received the EC directive and will comply with it as much as possible. We have already put up banners and posters made of cloth.'' Asom Gana Parishad spokesperson Dilip Saikia said the party was looking into the matter and would take steps to follow it.

The public has welcomed the direction to minimise the use of plastic in campaigning process.

Mr Swapan Talukdar, a resident of R G Baruah Road in the city, said, ''The plastic banners and posters are a menace to us. The cloth banners wear out but these plastic ones, if not removed, continue to hang for a long time.'' The plastic posters also block the drainage system and with the monsoons round the corner, the problem of artificial floods in the city was likely to go up, said Mrs Mitali Khound, a house-wife.

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