In a sweeping crackdown against the use of banned plastic, officers from the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB) along with members of the local durbar carried out inspections at key locations including Bus Stand and Mawroh. The operation forms part of the government’s intensified statewide drive to enforce the ban on single-use plastic and plastic items below 120-micron thickness.
MSPCB Chairman R. Nainamalai, present during the inspection, stated, “As we all know, there is a ban on single-use plastic and the plastic having thickness of less than 120 micron. It is being strictly imposed across the country. Meghalaya Govt has constituted a District Level Special Task Force for all the districts, wherein the members of the district administration, Police, Urban Affairs Department and Meghalaya Pollution Control Board and a regular surprise inspection is being carried out to see if the single use plastic are being used and some action is also being taken.”
Highlighting the scale of the crackdown, he said, “For the state of Meghalaya more than 2 matric ton of plastic has been seized from different districts and we are also giving awareness of not using these plastic and also to encourage the use of cloth bags which is environment friendly.”
Inspections revealed that while many are becoming conscious of the environmental hazards of single-use plastics, the practice continues among small vendors. “There are some plastic with the QR Code and CPCB registration, so during inspection these are found from the vendors. Small vendors are still using single use plastic, but the team has given them strict warning for not using single use plastic,” Nainamalai added.
The enforcement teams have also intensified raids in major market hubs across the state, including Mawlai, Laitumkhrah, Police Bazaar, and Bara Bazaar in Shillong, as well as prominent areas in Tura and other towns. Authorities have reiterated their commitment to promoting environmentally sustainable alternatives, including cloth bags, while continuing with surprise inspections to root out violations.
