SHILLONG, June 11: Following the decision of the Central Pollution Control Board to ban single-use plastic with effect from July 1, the East Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner’s office has informed that efforts are being made by the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board together with the Shillong Municipal Board, the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council and the Hima Mylliem to spread awareness on the ban in Iewduh, the largest traditional market in the state.
The DC’s office informed that a second round of sensitisation was held earlier this week and almost 50% of the vendors in Iewduh have stopped dealing in single-use plastic.
Use of plastic items including decorative thermocol, cups, glasses, flags, ear buds, candy and ice-cream sticks, PVC banners with thickness under 100 microns, wrapping films, stirrers and cutlery will be banned from July 1.
Plastic waste is considered to be one of the biggest contributors to pollution in the country. More than 34 lakh tonnes of plastic waste was generated in 2019-20 and 30.59 lakh tonnes in 2018-19 in India, central data have shown.
