Plastic Ban In Sikkim: Sikkim Govt Bans Plastic Bottles From 2022 To Conserve Environment

Sikkim Tourism Board: Sikkim's Tourism Board has announced a ban on single-use plastic.

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Sikkim Tourism Board: In order to save the environment, the Tourism Board of Sikkim has announced a ban on single-use plastic from the new year 2022. As per the information, it includes the packaged mineral water bottles.

The Himalayan state is rich in natural resources and provides fresh and good quality drinking water. It has decided to make this change to join the state government's drive to ban plastic in the region.

Ban To Be Imposed Across The State

The ban will be implemented across the state. Marcus P Rai, Joint Secretary, Department of Tourism and Civil Aviation, informed the media that airlines and other transport service providers have also been asked to avoid using plastic water bottles.

He further said that the state will try to give plastic-free options which are environmentally friendly and organic. He said that “we are encouraging villagers to produce large-scale production of bottles from bamboo and other biodegradable materials.” Not only airlines but we have also asked homestays to strictly comply with the ban.

There are 915 registered homestays in the state of Sikkim. Further in the conversation, Rai said they are encouraging homestays because they give an authentic village experience.  “We ask them not to go overboard with facilities in the name of guest facilities which will undermine the experiences of the inauthentic village,” he added.

Ban Was Announced Earlier By Sikkim CM 

In October, Sikkim Chief Minister PS Tamang had also announced that packaged mineral water would be banned in the Himalayan state from January 1, 2022. The CM gave a buffer time of three months to eliminate the existing stock of mineral water bottles available with commercial establishments.