Putting a check on single use plastic Carry your own bag

Ban on single use plastic is on, but tough to say how effective this has been in Manipur. Enforced on October 2 all over the country and it should be more than clear that the question of how effective the order of the Centre is will depend  on how the different States respond. Tough to say how seriously the Government of Manipur has taken the call of the Centre, but nothing suggests that the State Government has taken up steps to crack down on single use plastic. And polythene bags being the most visible of the widespread single use plastic, all eyes are obviously on what steps the State Government has taken up to check the use of plastic carry bags, especially while marketing. The use continues unabated and one just has to buy a kilogramme of fish or chicken to understand the point that is sought to be made here. Extremely convenient it is to use and with the State Government not doing anything worthwhile to come out with a substitute, there is nothing much to suggest that the ban will be effective here. This is what is worrying. Crack down on single use plastic, encourage the people to use jute bags and paper bags that were in vogue in the days gone by. Ask shopkeepers to keep paper bags, the chekhaos which were in wide use decades back. Impose heavy fines on all those found with single use plastic. Moreover let shoppers also pay for the paper bags which shopkeepers should provide. The cost can be borne by the shopper and not left to the shops alone to bear the cost.  Let schools and colleges also chip in and in the first place ban single use plastics in their vicinity or at their campuses.
The print media too may chip in and ask readers to coin slogans to check the use of plastic carry bags. Massive awareness campaign may be carried out but in the end it will basically boil down to the individual, the man who goes shopping and in other day to day activities. Refuse the vegetables packed in a polythene bag and instead have them put in the carry bag. Encourage the use of paper bags which were in use decades back. Yes it may be inconvenient in the beginning, but a little inconvenience should be faced to save the environment. The issue here is serious. All the drains and natural waterways are today clogged with plastics. The khongbans in each and every leirak and leikai are today choc-a-bloc with plastics and much of the local floods that occur after a short downpour may be attributed to the clogged khongbans and nullahs. Social media may also be used constructively to spread the message of putting an end to the rampant use of plastic carry bags. Let the practise of yester years return. In short, when one goes out shopping, don’t forget to carry the carry bag made of anything but single use plastic and one can definitely contribute to doing away with the rampant use of plastic carry bags. Let it start at the individual level and only then can Manipur take the first step towards realising the goal of the Prime Minister to check the rampant use of plastic and plastic carry bags.