The District Administration, Bishnupur in association with Urban Local Bodies and District Level Officers on Friday organised a One Day Mass Awareness Campaign on Ban of Single-Use Plastics (SUP) at Bishnupur Bazar. The awareness campaign will continue all through this month.
The awareness campaign was carried out in line with the Manipur Plastic Policy, 2022 for effective management of plastic waste and complete elimination of single-use plastics in the state.
Addressing the gathering of the Mass Awareness Campaign, Deputy Commissioner Lourembam Bikram stated that the District Level Task Force has been formed to coordinate the implementation of the Manipur Plastic Policy, 2022 at grassroots level.
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The DC further informed that the ban which will be enforced from 1st August covering sale, use, distribution, stocking, manufacturing and import of SUPs. He said that defaulters could be prosecuted and penalties will be imposed as permissible under law which may extend to five years imprisonment, including a fine upto Rs 1 lakh.
Lourembam Bikram also emphasised on the use of jute and bags made out of clothes or jute as an alternative to polythene bags. He also stressed on the need to revive the practice of bringing one’s own carry bags while going to market and shopping.
Stating that Bishnupur is one of the main tourist hotspots of the state, the DC stressed that it is important to maintain cleanliness in the district by abandoning the use of SUPs. He also discouraged the use of single-use plastic items such as plates, cups, glasses, cutleries and wrappers or packing films to avoid littering in the tourist spots.
While informing that similar awareness drives on SUP ban will be carried out at different markets of the district Lourembam Bikram appealed for cooperation and support from the people in the interest of the environment and future generation.
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Also speaking on the occasion, SP Bishnupur N Herojit advocated against the use of plastic bags by saying that the hazards of plastic far outweighs the convenience of using them. He also pointed out that single-use plastics are hard to dispose of as it would take many years to degrade.
Later, Deputy Commissioner Lourembam Bikram, SP N Herojit, Bishnupur Municipal Council chairperson L Maniyaima Singh, ADM H Bobby Sharma, SDO Moirang L Rishikanta and DLOs walked through the streets of Bishnupur Bazaar distributing cloth carry bags and interacted with the shop owners, market vendors and their customers.
