Meghalaya will have to put an end to single-use plastic from July 1.
An advisory from the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry has asked all states and union territories to take up a range of activities to make the country free of single-use plastic.
According to the Centre, while 2,591 urban local bodies (ULBs) out of 4,704 have already reported notification of single-use plastic ban as per the directions of the Central Pollution Control Board and the Environment Ministry, states and union territories will need to ensure that the remaining 2,100-plus ULBs notify the same by June 30.
Under the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0 currently being implemented by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, plastic-waste management, including elimination of single-use plastic, is a crucial area of focus.
The ministry has issued a detailed advisory to states and union territories to take up a range of activities to fulfill these mandates.
ULBs will need to identify single-use plastic ‘hotspots’ and eliminate them, while at the same time leveraging the support of the state pollution control boards and forming special enforcement squads, conducting surprise inspections and imposing heavy fines and penalties on defaulters.
As per the Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2021, the manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of carry bags made of virgin or recycled plastic less than 75 microns has been banned with effect from September 30, 2021 as opposed to 50 microns recommended earlier under Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016.
