Manipur will join the nation in banning six items made of plastics in an attempt to scrap single-use plastic in the State from October 2 next.
This is to coincide with the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
The banned items include plastic bags, cups, plates, small bottles, straws and certain types of sachets.
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The ban on the first six items of single-use plastics will clip five to 10 per cent from India’s annual consumption of about 14 million tonnes of plastic.
Single-use plastics, often also referred to as disposable plastics, are commonly used for packaging and include items intended to be used only once before they are thrown away or recycled.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set the goal to make India free of single-use plastics by 2022.
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He had earlier appealed to the nation to stop the use of single-use plastic in his speech on Independence Day this year.
With an aim to keep the area neat and clean in view of the 123rd birth anniversary observance of Lamyanba Hijam Irawat on September 30 and 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi on October 2, a cleanliness drive was held in and around the Khwairamband Ima Keithel which is Asia’s largest women’s market.
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The drive was jointly organized by the Municipal Administration, Housing and Urban Development (MAHUD) and Imphal Municipal Corporation (IMC) along with the Manipur Police Department, Manipur Fire Service, women vendors of Ima Keithel and different civil society organizations.
Speaking to media persons on the sidelines of the drive, MAHUD minister Thounaojam Shyamkumar said the task of keeping the Khwairamband Ima Keithel neat and clean is impossible without the support of all the stakeholders, including the women vendors and customers.
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Urging the public to replace plastic by biodegradable items, he said the plastic pollution is a major cause of concern for the world.
That is why mass campaign on the ban is being held across the globe.
On the building and shop guidelines of the IMC, he said a survey on the buildings constructed in and around the Khwairamband Keithel will be soon over.
He also said a drive will start after October 2 to check whether shops and buildings are properly following the guidelines and building bye-laws of the IMC.
Sunday’s cleanliness drive was also attended by corporators Sujata Phoamei, Laimayum Inungnganbi Devi, MAHUD commissioner M Joy Singh, IMC commissioner K Chandrakumar Singh, IMC administrator Ksh Lemba Singh, assistant municipal commissioner Samuel Moirangthem, assistant municipal commissioner Ksh Gyanendra Singh, IMC workers, women vendors of Ima Keithel and officials of Police and Fire Service.