HPs green initiatives extended to disposal of most things plastic

Himachal Pradesh extended the ban to all disposable plastic cups,glasses,plates and drinking water bottles.

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After getting the Prime Ministers Award on successful implementation of the ban on polythene carry bags and sustaining its polythene-free drive for more than two years,Himachal Pradesh on Sunday extended the ban to all disposable plastic cups,glasses,plates and drinking water bottles.

The business and traders community appeared to have also decided to abide by the law and the stop use of disposable plastics. However,sources say the government will give unwritten relaxations to traders for the next 15-20 days in view of festival seasons like Dussehra,Karva Chauth and Diwali. But,thereafter,it will start imposing penalties up to Rs 5,000 on the violators.

A decision to extend the ban,which was taken some months ago,was initially scheduled to come into force on August 15,but after the traders body approached Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal and Additional Chief secretary (Environment) Sudipto Roy,the government extended the deadline to October 2.

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Nagin Nanda,Secretary (Environment),said: As per the notification issued by the government,the ban has come into force from today.

We have given time to the Beopar Mandal and other bodies,whose support is very essential,to exhaust their pending stock.

The government has passed strict directions to the deputy commissioners and other agencies to enforce the ban and also create awareness about the harmful affects of the polythene on the environment. We are also proposing to engage the plastic industry by motivating them to switch over to alternatives and manufacture bio-degradable disposables, added Nanda.

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