Tourist vehicles entering Sikkim without garbage bags to attract penalties

Gangtok (Sikkim) [India], July 21 (ANI): Sikkim government has made it mandatory for all tourist vehicles entering the state to carry large garbage bags, the state's Tourism and Civil Aviation Department said.
This decision has been made to promote environmental sustainability in all the tourist destinations and to ensure community participation towards achieving this goal, the state's Tourism and Civil Aviation Department said.
Tour operators, travel agencies, and drivers must inform tourists to use these bags for collecting and disposing of waste, the state's Tourism and Civil Aviation Department added.
"In order to promote environmental sustainability in all the tourist destinations and to ensure community participation towards achieving this goal, Department of Tourism & Civil Aviation hereby makes it mandatory for all tourist vehicles entering the State to carry large garbage bags in their respective vehicles. Further, it shall be the responsibility of concerned tour operators, travel agencies and vehicle drivers to disseminate the information about use of garbage bags for waste collection and disposal," as per a notification from the Sikkim tourism & civil aviation department.
Officials will randomly check tourist vehicles to make sure they follow this rule. Vehicles that don't comply will be fined according to government rules, the state's Tourism and Civil Aviation Department said.
Under this, the government will also run campaigns and clean-up events to teach tourists about managing garbage properly and why it's important for the environment.
"Department shall conduct random checks of tourist vehicle to ensure compliance of the order and any vehicle found violating the order shall be subject to penalties in terms of prescribed rule of the Department. Department shall also conduct awareness campaign and cleanliness drive to educate the tourist about garbage management and environmental sustainability," the notification said.
Sikkim is a state in northeastern India. It borders Tibet in the north and northeast, Bhutan in the east, Nepal in the west, and West Bengal in the south. Sikkim is also located close to India's Siliguri Corridor near Bangladesh. Sikkim is the least populous and second smallest among the Indian states, as per Tourism and Civil Aviation Department, Goverment of Sikkim
A part of the Eastern Himalaya, Sikkim is notable for its biodiversity, including alpine and subtropical climates, as well as being a host to Kangchenjunga, the highest peak in India and third highest on Earth. Sikkim's capital and largest city is Gangtok, as per Tourism and Civil Aviation Department, the Goverment of Sikkim. (ANI)