The National Environment Agency (NEA) has intensified its efforts at enforcing the ban on plastic bags within the Greater Banjul Area and other parts of the West Coast Region.
The latest operation to enforce the ban which came into effect on 1 July 2015 was carried out in Tallinding, LatriKundaSabiji, Tabokoto and Old Yundum.
The NEA officials said similar operations will be held in other settlements in West Coast Region as well as Central River, Lower River, North Bank and Upper River regions.
During the operations in areas so far covered, large quantity of plastic bags was confiscated from major dealers as well as retailers. In places like Old Yundum, people were found selling water in plastic bags but it was confiscated by the NEA enforcement team which consists of police, immigration and NEA officials.
Speaking to reporters after the operations, the Assistant Superintendent of the Gambia Immigration Department, ASP Sana Marenah, said sensitisation has been ongoing in both the print and electronic media for people to cease dealing with plastic bags “but some do not still comply”.
“This is why the enforcement team is conducting the operation to confiscate plastic bags,” he said. “Some people told the enforcement teams that they know about the ban but they wanted to clear their goods. This means that they do not want to comply, but there would be no mercy to whosoever is found with plastic bags as they would face the full force of the law.”
The assistant divisional commanding officer of police for KMC, AbdoulieJallow, said the media sensitisation has yielded very good results in Banjul and Serekunda as the people there have been complying with the ban order.
He said the enforcement would continue as long as some people still remain incompliant to the ban.
Mr Demba, also a member of the joint taskforce, said the NEA had been communicating to people about the banning of plastic bags, to which others are complying and some still defaulting.
