Assam government imposes blanket ban on distribution and sale of water bottles below 1000 ml capacity effective October 2

Assam Environment and Forest Department has issued a notification and prohibited the use or manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of plastic water bottles below 1000 ml capacity in the state and it will come into effect from October 2, 2023.

A notification states, "Whereas, single-use plastic (SUP) items, which have a very high littering potential, cause short-term and long-term environmental damage and pose a health hazard...The implementation of the provision of the notification shall vest in Urban and Rural local bodies, District Administration and Police department and Pollution Control Board of Assam. This Notification will come into effect from 2nd October, 2023."

This comes after Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced a ban on single-use plastic water bottles with a carrying capacity below one litre. 

This ban will go into effect on October 2 and will be a crucial step in the state's transition to a greener and more sustainable future.

Also Read: Assam government ban sale of single-use plastic water bottles below one litre

Assam has pledged to eliminate plastic waste and its damaging effects on the environment, and the ban is a part of that effort. 

The damage that plastic pollution poses to human health, marine ecosystems, and animals has spread around the globe. 

The government wants to address the urgent problem of plastic trash that frequently ends up contaminating rivers, lakes, and other natural areas by focusing on single-use plastic water bottles.

Single-use plastics, such as those commonly used in water bottles, are items intended to be used once and then disposed of. 

Since they are not biodegradable, they remain in the environment for a very long time, harming the ecology in the process.