Lucknow: On Independence Day, the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh imposed a blanket ban on the manufacture, sale, stocking, and transport of all plastic and thermocol items.

UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath had ordered the ban on polythene bags of less than 50 microns on July 15. The ban on disposable cups, forks, spoons, plates, and glasses was ordered today, hence initiating the second phase of the initiative started by the BJP government.

The third and final phase will be rolled out on October 2 on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, imposing a complete ban on non-bio-degradable polythene.

The government has directed all municipal corporations and concerned departments to enforce the ban and make sure it is well implemented. Special inspections will take place to ensure compliance.

People found with 100 gm of polythene are fined Rs 1000 and those with five kg are slapped with a fine of Rs 25,000. This penalty has been effective for the first time to curb polythene use in the country, as the government empowered various departments to penalize offenders instead of leaving it up to only the municipal corporations.