The Centre has urged all states and Union territories to ensure that urban local bodies (ULBs) or municipal entities ban single-use plastic within their jurisdictions by this month-end. As of now, out of the 4,700-odd ULBs, only 2,591 have notified the ban from July 1. Putting an end to the circulation of single-use plastic is a major focus of the government’s Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (cleanliness mission).

The housing and urban affairs ministry has also issued a detailed advisory to the states and Union territories asking them to take up a range of activities including largescale cleaning and plogging drives, with special emphasis on plastic waste collection, as well as large scale tree plantation drives, with participation of all citizens.