Manipur Govt's "New Plastic Policy" 2022 Sets Punishment Upto 5 Years In Prison
HY News
20 May, 2022 05:13 am IST
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Manipur Govt's "New Plastic Policy" 2022 Sets Punishment Upto 5 Years In Prison
HY News, Imphal: CM N. Biren chaired a cabinet meeting with 11 Ministers on Wednesday and endorsed the Manipur Plastic Policy 2022 in a string with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intent to phase out single-use plastic by 2022. The policy strives to tackle multi-faceted plastic pollution by regulating the use of plastics.
The policy also includes that any person found dealing in or using plastic items in contravention of the direction stipulated in the policy will face imprisonment up to five years term, with a fine extendable up to Rs 1 lakh. Further, the cabinet also reviewed the progress of the 100-Days program.
As part of the 100-Action Points for the First-100 days of the new government, the cabinet has also determined to take up immediate steps to double the width of 79 roads consisting of 57 roads in the Greater Imphal area, 10 in other district headquarters in the valley areas and another 12 roads in the hill district headquarters.
The state cabinet approved Manipur's state government policy to reduce plastic pollution and regulate single-use plastic products on May 18. The thickness of the single-use plastic product will be increased from 50 microns, in line with the Centre's policy of 2021, set to be implemented this year. It set the punishment for not following the rule at a fine up to ₹1 lakh and even five-year imprisonment.
The Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021, prohibits single-use plastic products from July 1 this year. This Amendment came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call to ban all single-use plastic by 2022. According to the amended rule, manufacturing, import, stocking, sale, and distribution of single-use plastic will be stopped. Some items include - plastic flags, ice-cream sticks, thermocol, plates, cups, cutlery, wrapping films, cigarette packets, etc.
The aim is to use 120-micron quality plastic by December 2022, which has high life, encouraging the reuse of plastic due to its thickness. However, at the moment, single-use plastic bags have only been increased to 75 microns. The State governments had been ordered to create a mitigation 'action plan' for eliminating single-use plastic in 2016. In the previous Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, all the States and Union Territories were requested to have a Special Task Force for reducing single-use plastic. A National Level Taskforce was also constituted by the Centre, blending the efforts of various states to enforce this policy efficiently.
Pinpointed single-use plastic less than 50 microns has a shallow shelf-life with 'high littering potential'. According to Kh Tomba, a scientist with the Manipur Pollution Control Board, the new plastic policy will follow PM Modi's call for eradicating single-use plastic by 2022. He remarked, "The new policy will substantially reduce the impact of plastic waste on the environment. Once it is fully implemented, a directive would be issued to the dealers and shopkeepers to empty all their stocks," as reported by The Indian Express.
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