Rupandehi, March 13

Tilottama Municipality in Rupandehi district has been declared plastic bag-free zone. Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Development Ghanashyam Bhusal made the announcement at a programme here today.

On the occasion, he urged campaigners to continue with the drive while calling for the federal, province and local levels to prioritise sanitation. “Saving earth means saving humans. There is a need to save all living and non-living things on earth,” he said.

As part of the campaign that started eight months ago in coordination with SEEM Nepal, a non-governmental organisation, a programme ‘My Pocket, My First Dustbin’ has been launched at schools and villages. Consuming tobacco-products in public places is also banned and throwing garbage in public places or roads is punishable, said Deputy Mayor Jageshwori Chaudhary.

With enforcement of the campaign, roads and public places were tidied up. The campaign aims to reduce impact of polythene bags and its products on human health, town’s beauty, agricultural produce and environment, said the municipality’s Spokesperson Surendra Shree.  Of the total 753 local levels, Tilottama is first to be declared a polythene bag-free zone, said SEEM Nepal’s President Nipesh Dhakal.