Patna: State cooperative department minister Pramod Kumar on Thursday admitted in the legislative council that the ban on single-use plastic was being violated across the state and said a stricter law was required to ensure compliance. Members raised concerns over violations of the comprehensive ban on the manufacture, storage, distribution and sale of single-use plastic and thermocol, demanding stronger enforcement and greater public awareness.MLC Saurabh Kumar, raising the issue on behalf of Maheshwar Singh, referred to a massive accumulation of plastic spread over 118 sq km in Pakridayal in East Champaran, warning that it posed a serious threat to farmers as harmful chemicals were being trapped in the soil. “If there is a ban, then how such plastic are found everywhere,” he asked. He suggested that the state govt should utilise such plastic in the construction of rural roads under the Lohia Swachh Bihar Abhiyan, noting that nearly one lakh km of roads have been built using plastic across the country, whereas Bihar has constructed only 10km.MLC Sunil Kumar Singh pointed to the continued use of single-use plastic in the Bihar Legislative Council canteen. MLC Devesh Kumar stressed the need to intensify awareness campaigns and ensure the availability of viable alternatives to plastic.In a separate matter, MLC Neeraj Kumar, through a starred question, raised concerns over the shifting course and imbalanced flow of the Ganga in the Mokama area. He said ghats that were earlier about 1 km away had come within 100 metres, placing Mokama town at risk of erosion. He demanded a ground-level technical survey, river structure study or geo-technical risk assessment, declaration of Mokama as erosion-sensitive, and installation of spurs, geo-bags, boulder pitching and other river control measures.Replying, minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary said a memorandum of understanding (MoU) had been signed with the National Institute of Hydrology (NIH), Roorkee, which is conducting a study on the Ganga. He observed that the river, which once flowed close to Patna, has since shifted course, adding that the govt must both protect the city and ensure the uninterrupted flow of the Ganga.
