Samdrup Jongkhar Thromde has been continuing with its efforts to keep the town free of plastic waste. The Thromde Administration still enforces the ban on the use of plastic bags, but the endeavour is facing a new challenge. Most of the residents go to the Indian border towns for shopping and return with plastic shopping bags.
With the help of regular sensitizations and monitoring by authorities, residents say Samdrup Jongkhar Thromde has been able to control its plastic waste to some extent.
Only transparent plastics are allowed for packaging goods, while the public and shops are discouraged from using plastic bags.
But with the opening of the border gates, this initiative to manage plastic waste in the area has come under threat of failure.
Every day, more than a hundred people visit the Indian towns across the border for shopping. And when they return, people come with the goods placed inside plastic bags.
And at the border gates, there is no one to monitor this.
Some sections of society, especially the business people, are calling for the authorities to step up and enforce the rules uniformly.
“Plastic bags are not allowed here in the market, but people can freely bring them from across the border. So I don’t think it’s of any use if this continues, plastic bags from across the border will also pollute the environment,” said Jangchub Dema, a shopkeeper.
“We are not allowed to give plastic carry bags but many people bring things in plastic carry bags from the towns in India and I think it is allowed,” said Dorji.
“It would be better if they started monitoring at the border gate. Right now, everyone is bringing goods in plastic shopping bags and they will throw these bags here,” said Ugyen Dema.
The Thromde office says they are planning to hold talks with relevant agencies to address this issue.
“We will carry out some awareness programmes, we will meet with stakeholders like the police and customs officials so that we can stop people from using plastic shopping bags,” said Thrompon Thinley Namgay.
The country first banned the use of plastic bags in 1999 grabbing international headlines. But after years of struggle to enforce it, the National Environment Commission issued a reinforcement notification in 2019 listing fines for defaulters.
But the usage of plastic bags still remains common across the country.
Kinley Wangchuk, Samdrup Jongkhar
Edited by Yeshi Gyaltshen
