CHANDIGARH, March 29 -- With the air pollution concerns echoing in the Haryana assembly on Friday, environment, forest and wildlife minister Rao Narbir Singh admitted helplessness over the rampant use of banned polythene bags across the state, urging people to shun them as they take 400 years to decay and release toxic smoke when burned.

The environment minister candidly accepting the inability of the state government to enforce ban on polythene bags is significant as in 2018 while banning single-use water bottles in all government offices in the state, Haryana government had also taken a slew of other environment-friendly decisions, including making Haryana a polythene-free state in six months. Keeping in view the gravity of the matter,...