Though the use and sale of polythene is officially banned in Sivasagar, these are openly used by fruit and vegetable vendors, fish and meat sellers and grocers and sweet sellers. Despite the ban imposed by the Sivasagar district administration, illegal use of polythene bags goes uncontrolled in almost every shop in markets of Sivasagar, alleged Parivesh Suraksha Samiti, a leading NGO. In a press release, Rupraj Baruah, president of Sivasagar District Committee of Paribesh Suraksha Sammittee, alleged that though the administration had conducted several drives earlier against polythene traders and sellers, a few businessmen seem to be reluctant in this regard nowadays. Like many other government directives, this one has also fallen into deaf ears. As a result, trading of eco-hazardous polythene is going on unabated under the very nose of the authorities concerned creating adverse impact on the environment as a whole. “Though the matter was brought to the administration’s notice, the practice of illegal storing and use of polythene is going on unabatedly at Tirupati Water Industries located at Darikapar, just 2 kms away from Sivasagar town. The administration has miserably failed to take action so far against Gopal Joshi, owner of Tirupati Water Industries, who is believed to be a powerful businessman in Sivasagar,” Baruah alleged and further raised doubts about why the administration had not conduct a raid yet despite being repeatedly informed that large quantities of polythene had been stored in the godown of Tirupati Water Industries. The water industry has even been using its name and logo on the polythene of 20-litre gallons of ‘Dew Drops’, said the environment activist and demanded immediate action against the ban violators.