The state government on Wednesday told the deputy commissioners to effectively implement plastic waste management practices and ‘Polythene Hatao Paryavaran Bachao’ campaign in Himachal Pradesh.

In a meeting of the stakeholder departments like Urban Development, Public Works Department, Tourism, Police and Forests through video conferencing, Additional Chief Secretary, Environment, Science and Technology, Manisha Nanda asked for enhanced co-ordination and coherence among departments.

She said that under ‘vision document’ which had been adopted by the state government as its policy document, strict implementation of ban on polythene had been prioritised and the state would be made ‘Polythene Waste Free State’.

“In order to achieve this objective, a tangible action framework is required to be drawn,” she said.

Nanda expressed concern over the performance of districts over non-checking of littering of wastes despite the fact that the compounding powers had been delegated to about 15 departments at field level up the constable level.

She directed all the Deputy Commissioners to enforce the legal provisions of the Himachal Pradesh Non-Biodegradable Garbage (Control) Act, 1995.

The Additional Chief Secretary directed the PWD department to gear up for use of plastic waste in road construction and the Urban Development department to install cluster based solid waste management plants in Baddi, Mandi, Dharamshala, Kangra and Manali towns.

She asked the Rural Development department to explore the possibility of preparing a plan to manage solid and liquid waste in rural areas. Besides Rural Development and Urban Development departments were asked to explore the possibility of setting up solid waste management facilities at least in 10 SADA areas.

Nanda told all the Deputy Commissioners to be more pro- active on checking, control of littering of plastic waste. She said now onwards bi-monthly review of plastic wastes management would be conducted. Special checking derives/ challaning would be carried out in all the districts on littering of wastes be it plastic or other wastes.

Wherever, the wastes was found littered on the government land private land, community land the nearby households, shops, hotels, restaurants, dhabas, establishments would be held responsible for violations.