Bureaucratic lethargy and the lack of political will have led to a situation where the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa) and the city district government Karachi (CDGK) appear to have virtually lost the battle against polythene bags that was energetically launched over a year ago. Environmentalists accuse the environmental and health safety watchdogs of having made too many compromises. Through an ordinance, the Sindh government imposed a ban on the manufacturing, sale and use of polythene bags of less than 30 microns' thickness in early 2006. However, a subsequent crackdown was possible only in March 2007, when Sepa and CDGK took joint action against offenders on the grounds that the improper disposal of polythene bags had proved a major factor in the degradation of the city environment. Armed with specially-delegated magisterial powers, division district officers (revenue) were directed to launch a campaign against the so-called