They are full of promises for a better future, but are doing nothing for a better present. Creasing many a brow at the Pollution Control Board (PCB), all major political parties have used plastic and polythene products in their campaigns for the Lok Sabha election.

The PCB is hamstrung in the absence of any specific law to stop the use of non-biodegradable products. Not that it hasn’t tried to check the problem, though. Repeated appeals have fallen on the deaf ears of the political leaders, who continue to use non-biodegradable material to design their glossy posters and campaign billboards.

“We are more scared about what will happen after the election. The flags, festoons and banners will be left where they’ve been put up, compounding our drainage and sewerage system woes.” said an official of the PCB.

Most parties are using plastic films and vinyl-based sheets to make flags, cut-outs and banners in the run-up to the election, PCB officials pointed out. The use of such material has risen alarmingly during this poll season, and the major parties ordered several thousands of such sheets for their campaigning candidates.

“The flags of plastic film are very popular, since they are water resistant. Besides, their rigidity and glossy appearance make them more popular,” declared a supplier of plastic flags.

“We had appealed to all political parties to cut down on the use of plastic-based, non-biodegradable materials in their election campaigns. But the rampant use of these materials shows that our appeal has gone unheard,” lamented S. Sarkar, PCB member-secretary.

The officials are more concerned about the vinyl billboards that politicians are putting up. “ The number has gone up by several thousands in every locality. The suburban areas, too, haven’t been spared. After the elections, no political party will arrange for their proper disposal,” a PCB official added.

N.K. Sarkar, director of a reputed outdoor advertising agency, backed the PCB claim. “As the cost of vinyl printing has gone down to Rs 15 or Rs 20 per sq ft, these billboards are the hot choice of advertisers. And now, even the political parties have joined in. Several suppliers even make them at Rs 10 per sq ft, cheaper than the conventional paper and cloth boards,” he pointed out.

Biswajeet Mukherjee, PCB law officer, admitted that the agency is helpless in curbing the use of non-biodegradable materials. “The reach of the law is restricted only to the polythene bags, made of plastic below 20-micron thickness,” he admitted.