Itanagar civic body orders crackdown on single-use plastic, bans carry bags below 120 microns

The Itanagar Municipal Corporation (IMC) has stepped up its crackdown on single-use plastic, directing shops, hotels, restaurants, vendors and other commercial establishments across the capital to stop using prohibited plastic items and carry bags thinner than 120 microns.

The civic body issued a public appeal on August 11, citing the Centre's Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2021, as well as Arunachal Pradesh's notification banning single-use plastic from July 2022.

The move comes after an order issued by the District Magistrate of Itanagar Capital Complex on July 14, prohibiting the manufacture, sale, stocking, distribution and use of single-use plastic items, particularly carry bags below 120 microns, in the capital region.

Under the IMC's latest directions, no person, wholesaler, retailer or commercial establishment will be allowed to manufacture, stock, transport, distribute, sell or use plastic carry bags below the prescribed thickness or other banned single-use plastic items.

The restrictions cover items such as plastic-stemmed ear buds, plastic balloon sticks, plastic flags, candy and ice-cream sticks, thermocol used for decoration, plastic plates and cups, cutlery, straws, trays, wrapping and packing films, and plastic or PVC banners below 100 microns.

The IMC has also prohibited the use of plastic packaging materials or sachets for storing, packing or selling goods and asked businesses to shift to biodegradable or compostable alternatives.

The corporation has now warned that enforcement will not be limited to an advisory. It will conduct regular inspections, surprise checks and special enforcement drives across all 20 municipal wards in the capital.

"No person shall litter or improperly dispose of plastic waste in drains, public roads, parks, markets, water bodies or any public place within the IMC jurisdiction," the appeal states.

Commercial establishments have been directed to discontinue prohibited plastic items "with immediate effect" and adopt environmentally friendly alternatives. Traders dealing in plastic carry bags or packaging have also been asked to comply with statutory labelling and other requirements under the Plastic Waste Management Rules.

The IMC said the restrictions are being enforced under provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, Arunachal Pradesh Plastic Waste Management Bye-laws, 2023, and the Arunachal Pradesh Municipal Corporation Act, 2019, among other laws.

The civic body has appealed to residents and businesses to cooperate with the enforcement drive and help discourage the use of non-biodegradable single-use plastic.

The order was issued by IMC Joint Commissioner Khoda Lasa on August 11. It has also been circulated to the Arunachal Pradesh State Pollution Control Board, police authorities, district administration, urban local bodies and the state information and public relations department for wider dissemination.