Nagaland bans small plastic water bottles from August 1

In a decisive move to combat plastic waste, the government of Nagaland on Thursday announced a complete ban on plastic water bottles under one litre, effective from August 1, 2024, and plastic bags.

DIMAPUR — In a decisive move to combat plastic waste, the government of Nagaland on Thursday announced a complete ban on plastic water bottles under one litre, effective from August 1, 2024, and plastic bags.

The decision was taken during a meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Dr. J Alam with administrative heads of departments to discuss the elimination of single-use plastics (SUP) and improving waste management in the state.

An update from the DIPR stated that the chief secretary stressed the need to formulate an effective action plan for the state, and the members agreed, in principle, to completely ban plastic bottles below one litre.

Drawing inspiration from Sikkim’s complete ban on single-use plastics, the house also decided to implement a complete ban on all single-use carry bags, regardless of micron thickness.

This came a few years after the government announced prohibition of single-use plastic items in the state, before banning carry bags less than 120 microns in thickness, in a fresh notification issued in December 2022.

Addressing the house on Thursday, Alam highlighted the growing plastic waste menace in the state, while lauding the disaster management authority, district administration, volunteers and other agencies involved in cleaning the Doyang reservoir, which was in a mess after trash brought down from upstream accumulated in the dam.

Maintaining that the clean-up exercise was just an immediate measure, he said the systemic problem at hand should be seriously deliberated and long-term measures identified to effectively implement plastic waste management.

Further, he urged all departments to spread awareness through intensive media campaigns, seminars and workshops on the adverse effects of single-use plastic. He also reminded them to document their activities through geo-tagging and update photos and videos on the department websites.

Officials of various departments, including Urban Development, Municipal Affairs, Rural Development and Pollution Control Board shared their views and opinions during the meeting, said the update.