Concerned
over the use of plastics in campaign material during
the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls, the West Bengal Pollution
Control Board has issued an order to all political
parties to utilise only biodegradable substances that
do not pile up afterwards posing an environmental
hazard.
In an
appeal to all major political parties of the state,
the Board said huge quantities of campaign material
used during the polls could end up as an environmental
hazard if non-degradable substances like plastics
were used for their manufacture.
"After
each election we find that a lot of plastic material
like banners, flags, festoon, balloons and signboards
used for campaigns pile up in various parts of the
state. Not only are they non-biodegradable posing
a big problem to the environment but also make for
unhygienic and unclean surroundings," WBPCB legal
officer Biswajit Mukjhere said in Kolkata.