Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) Denounce Plastic In Lewduh Market

A Reporter

SHILLONG: The Hima Mylliem along with the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) on Monday held a public meeting at Motphran to publicly announce the declaration of Iewduh Market as a “No Plastic Zone’.

The Hima and council leader in their speech during the meeting emphasized on the need to eradicate the use of plastic bags in the market and anyone found going against this will have to pay a fine of Rs 1 lakh and serve jail time for almost 5 years.

Addressing the gathering, executive member in-charge trade at KHADC Paul Lyngdoh said, “There is a need to preserve nature and this initiative is part of that. Hence plastic should not be encouraged to be used inside this market and there is a team of six members, three form the council and three from the Hima to monitor and check if there is anyone still selling or using plastic in the market from here onwards.”

He said that if anyone is found to be using plastic bags within the market place especially after the market has been declared as a ‘No Plastic Zone’ strict action will be taken against them as per the law.

“Recently there were flooding in a few localities in the capital city of Shillong because the heavy rains however in the past despite heavy rains there never used to be flooding and we usually associate flooding with low lying areas but because of plastic which has been dumped into various streams and rivers the city is experiencing such a phenomena,” he said.

The MDC also urged the shopkeepers at the market to abide by the rules and regulation imposed by the district council and Hima Mylliem as this will only bring about a change in the market and will attract more tourists by using indigenous ways and mean instead of using plastic.

“Even before plastic was introduced in the state this market which is one of the oldest market in the state has existed and people used leaves to rap their goods like meat etc.., hence there is a need to go back to those days as this will also help is safeguarding the environment,” he said.

The public meeting was also attended by the Syiem of Hima Mylliem Ainam Manik Syiem, Hima Myntri’s, EM in-charge Trade including EM- in-charge Market Jambor War of the district council along with officers of both the Hima and KHADC.

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