Dimapur, May 6 (EMN): To eradicate the menace of plastic by 2022, Dimapur administration has banned use of single-use plastic items with immediate effect. The notification to this effect was issued by the deputy commissioner of Dimapur, Rajesh Rajesh Soundararajan, on Friday.
The notification was issued in pursuance to an order by the Urban Development department dated March 11, 2022, and in partial modification to the office order even number dated August 5, 2019, prohibiting identified single-use plastic items, which have low utility and high littering potential.
According to the order, manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of carry bag made of virgin or recycled plastic should not be less than 75 microns in thickness with effect from September 30, 2022 and 120 microns in thickness with effect from December 31, 2022. Further, non woven plastic carry bag should not be less than 60 gram per square metre with effect from September 30, 2022.
The order also stated that manufacture, import, sticking, distribution, sale and use of following single-use plastic including polystyrene and expanded polystyrene, commodities should be prohibited with effect from July 1, 2022.
The banned items included ear buds with plastic stick, plastic stick for balloons, plastic flags, candy sticks, ice-cream sticks, polystyrene (thermocol) for decoration. It also included plates, cups, glasses, cutlery such as forks, spoons, knives, straw, trays, wrapping or packing films around sweet boxes, invitation cards, and cigarette packets, plastic or polyvinyl chloride (PVC) banners less than 100 microns, stirrers.
It stated that all other clauses mandated in the ‘Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016’ and Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2021’ should be strictly adhered to.
All individuals, institutions and commercial establishment (educational institutions, offices, hotels, shops, restaurants, religious institutions/ faith-based institutions, industrial establishment, banquet halls etc.) in the district are asked to abide the aforesaid ban. It further cautioned that any breach would be liable for penalties.
