Sikkim already has a strict environment policy in place. In order to curb the menace of disposable water bottles, the Government of Sikkim has issued a ban on packaged drinking water bottles.
The Chief Minister of Sikkim Prem Singh Tamang made this announcement. The ban will come to effect from the beginning of next year, ie. the 1st of January 2021. These three months, that is October, November and December has been given as buffer time. This buffer time has been allotted so that businessmen have ample time to sell out their existing stock of packaged water bottles.
Packaged drinking water bottles are made of plastic and it has become an indispensable part of life. But the problem arises when people do not dispose the used bottles properly. Travelers across the country are often seen throwing away used bottles on the roadside. Not just travelers, hotels and restaurants also generate huge amounts of these bottles.
This decision also means that all the eateries and hotels and other businesses will now have to maintain their own water purification systems to serve their customers and guests. Since the state of Sikkim has ample clean water sources, there should not be any problem implementing this new system.
