Karachi: A province-wide ban on the manufacture, supply, and use of plastic shopping bags came into full effect on Sunday across Sindh, as the final deadline for compliance expired. The move marks a significant enforcement shift, with the provincial government vowing zero tolerance and immediate punitive action against violators.
Environment Secretary Agha Shahnawaz Khan warned that this time, the ban is not symbolic. “No use, manufacturing, or sale of plastic bags will be tolerated. Violators will face heavy fines, arrests, and even factory closures,” he said. He added that numerous warnings and awareness campaigns had already been conducted over the past year, and that the time for leniency had passed.
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The Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA), in collaboration with district administrations and police, has been tasked with ensuring strict enforcement. Joint teams will monitor markets, industrial areas, and retail outlets across the province to identify and penalize offenders.
A special committee under SEPA Director General Waqar Hussain Phulpoto, comprising all regional directors, has been formed to coordinate implementation efforts at the grassroots level. The committee was constituted following a high-level meeting chaired by the environment secretary earlier this week, where the government outlined its enforcement strategy.
The meeting also resulted in formal letters being sent to the home secretary and divisional commissioners, directing coordinated operations at the district level. A zero-tolerance policy officially began on June 16, and provincial authorities have promised visible enforcement results.
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The environment secretary also highlighted the long-term ecological damage caused by plastic waste, saying that this ban was a crucial step toward sustainability. Other agenda items under discussion included restructuring the Directorate of Climate Change, activating a provincial climate working group, and establishing a sustainable development board to better manage climate funding.
The Sindh government had previously introduced multiple deadlines and issued public warnings to phase out polythene bags, but implementation had remained inconsistent. Officials now say the current effort will be markedly different—with active enforcement, penalties, and on-ground monitoring.