SHILLONG, June 11 – With a view to keeping the environment clean and avoiding confusion among manufacturers, sellers and users of plastic bags in the State, the Meghalaya Government has introduced an amendment to a relevant Bill banning all plastic bags below 40 micron in thickness.
‘Meghalaya Prohibition of Manufacturer, Sale, Use and Throwing of Low Density Plastic Bags Act 2001’ had attempted to ban such an act of low density plastic bags of below 20 micron which was desecrating the environment and posing serious health hazards. Urban Affairs Minister Friday Lyngdoh, who introduced an amendment to the Bill in the Assembly, said although a reduction in the use of low density plastic bags was recorded since the enactment of the legislation, a confusion in measuring the thickness of such bags cropped up.
To avoid such confusion it was now proposed to ban all plastic bags below 40 micron in thickness, he said adding the amendment sought to achieve the objective. No additional expenditure would be incurred from the consolidated funds of the state for implementing the provisions, he said. The discussion on the Bill would be taken up later.