KHLIEHRIAT: East Jaintia Hills Deputy Commissioner on Tuesday prohibited in the district the manufacturing, stocking, distributing or selling of any plastic bags which are less than 50 microns in thickness.
A statement from the East Jaintia Hills Deputy Commissioner on Tuesday said that the directive comes in view of large-scale use of plastic bags across the district and disposal of the same in an unorganised manner, which results to ecological imbalance.
“The use of these plastics, especially in the form of plastic carry bags less than 40 microns, have tremendously increased and since plastic bags and other plastic materials are non-biodegradable, large-scale use of such materials is bound to have a long-term impact on the environment as a whole,” the statement from the DC read.
The DC also said reckless disposal of plastic bags have led to clogging of drains, streams, rivers, et al.
The EJH DC has also prohibited colorant for use in plastics. “Further, carry bags made of recycled plastic or products made of recycled plastic shall not be used for storing, carrying, dispensing or packaging of ready-to-eat, drink food stuff,” the DC said.
The DC’s order also states that retailers or street vendors selling or providing commodities in plastic bags, multi-layered packaging, plastic sheets or covers made of plastic sheets, which are not manufactured, labelled or marked in accordance with these rules, will be penalised.