[ Chukhu Indu ]
ITANAGAR, 7 Apr: Despite the nationwide ban on use of single-use plastics (SUP) since 1 July, 2022, it is still being used in large numbers, especially in the marketplaces of the Itanagar Capital Region (ICR).
The government had on 30 September, 2022 increased the microns of plastics from 50 to 75, and then to 120 from 31 December, 2022, but it is still not being implemented in the ICR.
According to officials of the Arunachal Pradesh State Pollution Control Board (APSPCB), the urban development (UD) department, along with the APSPCB will launch an enforcement drive against the use of SUPs.
Many shops in the capital region are still not adhering to the order against using SUPs. The shopkeepers say that, while they would abide by the ban, it is the customers who ask for polythene bags even for a single commodity.
On 17 March, APSPCB Member Secretary Koj Rinya convened a videoconference with officials of the UD department and the district administration, and other stakeholders, during which the participants discussed constituting a team to enforce the ban on SUPs.
It is learnt that an SOP will be put in place, focusing on commercial establishments, marketplaces, distributors, local shops, cinema halls, hospitals, railway stations, and other public establishments.
Checking drives in this regard will be carried out four times a month.
