LAHORE                   -              Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday directed to seal top departmental stores and bakeries in Punjab province over violating the court orders to abandon the use of plastic bags while it also barred the water companies from using plastic bottles.

The court said that one week time to implement the orders could be given to bakeries and stores, if they submitted an affidavit of implementing the orders within the stipulated time.

Heading the proceedings, Justice Shahid Karim said that if the businessmen were least concerned on the matter then they had no right to carry out their activities.

“I am also issuing notices to the water companies using plastic bottles,” he said and added that the world had already shunned the use of plastic bottles and had now adopted glass bottles for the purpose.

The judge further said that in the next phase the court would ban the use of plastic material in the restaurants and bakeries. “The consumers raise a hue and cry over banning the plastic material but what they do not know is that the court is committed to eliminating these environment-hazardous products,” he said.

The judge said that the masses had to change themselves to improve the things and adjourned the case proceedings for March 06.

During a proceeding in the case on February 21, the court issued directives for a complete ban on polythene bags at the departmental stores and ordered the provincial authorities to submit a detailed report in this regard.

Govt bans polythene bags in zoo

The Punjab Government has banned using of polythene bags in the zoo, declaring it extremely dangerous for wildlife.

According to the zoo sources here on Friday, notices had been displayed at the cages of the animals for visitors so that protection of lives of the animals could be ensured.

Special instructions had also been issued to the canteens regarding the ban on polythene bags in the zoo.