Tourists carrying plastic bottles or bags into some of Meghalaya’s most popular eco-tourism destinations will have to pay a refundable “green deposit”, with the state government on Sunday rolling out a scheme to curb plastic pollution in high-footfall natural sites, officials said. The Green Deposit scheme has been introduced at destinations such as Cherrapunjee, Dawki and the Living Root Bridges, where a surge in tourist numbers has led to rising plastic waste, posing threats to rivers, forests and fragile ecosystems, they said.
Under the initiative, visitors entering notified areas with plastic items, including bottles and wrappers, will be required to pay a refundable deposit of Rs 100. The amount will be returned when tourists dispose of or return their plastic waste at designated exit points.
State authorities said the Green Deposit initiative aims to promote sustainable tourism practices, encourage behavioural change among visitors and reduce the environmental footprint of tourism in the hill state. The government plans to monitor the scheme closely and may extend it to other eco-sensitive destinations based on its effectiveness.