Colleges in Manipur fight plastic pollution

Students of Maharaj Bodhachandra College in Imphal East district are seen during a cleanup programme to make the campus plastic-free zone on April 19.

• IMPHAL — The initiative to reduce use of plastics in Manipur is underway after the state authorities formally took up an intensive drive against single-use plastics (SUP) across the state. Colleges are also taking up awareness programmes in connection with the enforcement of ban on SUP.
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• On April 19, the Eco Club, NSS unit and NCC of Maharaja Bodhachandra College in Imphal East district, in collaboration with the State Directorate of Environment and Climate Change, organised a one-day campus clean-up programme to make the campus a plastic-free zone.

Also read: Manipur intensify drive against single-used plastics

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• At the event, assistant professor of Environmental Science, Dr. L Usharani, and associate professor and head of Geography department, Dr. N Kishorchand, explained the harmful impacts of plastics on the environment.
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• Students and teachers removed plastics from the campus. They also took out a rally around college campus.
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• A similar campaign on the theme "Elimination of single-use plastics on school campus" was also held at Srivan Higher Secondary School, Luwangsangbam.
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• Thoubal College and Tamenglong College are also planning to organise similar events at their campus on April 21 and 22 respectively.
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• Earlier, a drive to ban SUP was held at Modern College Porompat in Imphal East district after the Imphal College and Oriental College in Imphal West and Kha-Manipur College in Kakching district organised similar clean-up programme-cum -awareness drive on ban of SUP.
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• It may be mentioned that the steps are being taken up after the official ban on such products came into force from April 15, 2025 under the Manipur Plastic Waste Management Rules 2016.
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• The officials of Manipur Pollution Control Board (MPCB), Directorate of Environment and Climate Change, Home Department, urban local bodies and others have already started to carry out inspections across various commercial areas including Imphal city.
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• On April 4, the principal secretary of Municipal Administration, Housing and Urban Development, RK Dinesh, had said that the entire state of Manipur would be choked unless the use of SUP is banned.