By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Shillong is set to become a model city in the country as the Shillong Municipal Board (SMB) is committed to turn the city into a cent percent “no plastic” zone.
The stringent enforcement on the use of plastic bag being imposed recently by the Urban Affairs Minister, Ampareen Lyngdoh along with the SMB has been successful to a large extent, as learnt, since the SMB is all out and have made it clear to the public that it is against the use of plastic in the city.
Speaking to The Shillong Times, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), SMB Tableland Lyngwa, said that on October 1 the SMB had seized two truckloads of plastics from Iewduh and hunt is on to catch such consignments and even individual public who are seen endorsing a plastic bag. “We are forming a special team within SMB who will move out in the commercial areas to make the ban on plastic more effective,” he said.
He informed that the plastic suppliers’ margin is so less that they don’t find it convenient to supply them anymore to commercial establishments.
Meanwhile, Meghalaya is also set to replace the use of plastic bags with eco-friendly hand woven leaf bags called “Pla Iew” and “Sla”, locally.
Many food items will now be sold in leaves form of carry bags which are environmentally acceptable. The use of such bags, authorities said, will go a long way in arresting the deteriorating environment and large scale pollution including rivers and streams in the city.
The efforts to use such biodegradable bags and leaves are to free the city which is often likened as the “Scotland of the East”. It has been seen that various city drains and streams including the Umiam Lake are infested with child labourers and rag pickers who engage themselves in collecting these plastics and sends them for recycling in Guwahati and elsewhere, which is also a lucrative business.
It may be mentioned that the SMB has warned that violators who are found using plastic bags would be fined as per rates being fixed by the Board besides habitual violators can even earn up to imprisonment as punishment.
