No polybags for meat: GHMC

Hyderabad: In a bid to reduce the generation of pollution in the form of polythene bags, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has decided to restrict their use at meat shops from October 2 onwards. The use of reusable containers as an alternative will be encouraged.

Notices will be sent to all chicken shops in the twin cities, instructing them to put up boards to illustrate the harmful effects of polythene bags on the environment, and the benefits of switching to the use of plastic or metal containers. This decision has been made after the GHMC Commissioner’s surprise visit to a meat shop in You-sufguda, where he saw that plastic bags of less than 50 micron thickness were being used to dispense meat. As per the GHMC’s rule, all plastic bags below 50 micron thickness are banned due to their carbon content. How-ever, their use is rampant across the 2,600 meat shops in the city.

Venkateshwara Red-dy, the Chief Veteri-nary Officer of the GHMC, says, “We will encourage residents welfare association, and we will conduct awareness sessions to prevent the use of  polythene bags.”

The GHMC has collected over Rs 21.51 lakh in the form of fines for the use of plastic bags of inferior quality. From October 2 on-wards, vigilance is expected to be increased.

Black bags have carbon: Experts
It is better to ditch black polythene bags to carry meat as it contains traces of ca-rbon which gives it its colour, warn experts.

Health aspects of coloured plastic bags have been discussed due to the presence of chemical agents in them. “No plastic can be made without bisphenol. It is what gives the plastic its shape and form. This chemical can damage the body,” said Mr Raghu Rama Rao, an expert on plastic re-use. The plastics used in meat shops are black and also below 50 microns, making them more susceptible to degradation. 

“The particles from plastic enter food in traces and can be metabolised in the bowel giving rise to bowel cancer or gastrointestinal cancer,” said Dr Srinivas Chilukuri, a senior oncologist. 

“We generate over 73 crore tonnes of plastic waste and disposing this is a huge burden,” said Dr Bindu B, assistant medical and health officer. The GHMC plans to use jute bags and aluminium foils to carry meat.