In the high-altitude village of Lachen in Sikkim, entering with a plastic bottle is not as simple as it sounds. Vehicles are checked before entry, not for security threats, but for something far more pervasive — plastic waste. Visitors are asked to leave their plastic bottles behind. If they don’t, they may not be allowed in.
This small but firm rule stems from Lachen’s proximity to Gurudongmar Lake, one of India’s highest and most sacred glacial lakes. The village serves as its gateway, and protecting this pristine ecosystem has become a collective responsibility.
The urgency is hard to ignore. India discards 3,800 tonnes of PET plastic bottles every day, much of which ends up polluting rivers and lakes. Left unchecked, even fragile, remote ecosystems like Gurudongmar could face the same fate.
To prevent this, Lachen has declared itself plastic-free. The ban is not symbolic — it is enforced. Cars are randomly checked to ensure that no plastic bottles make their way into the village. The initiative is led by the Dzumsa of Lachen, which has brought together shopkeepers, hoteliers, and residents to support the effort.
But the village has not stopped at restricting plastic. It has also provided an alternative. Local shops sell reusable bamboo bottles, encouraging visitors to transfer their water and continue their journey responsibly.
This approach reflects a larger ethos of sustainable tourism rooted in discipline and community participation. A small village has taken it upon itself to protect a vital natural resource from the consequences of widespread plastic use.
Beyond Lachen, the state of Sikkim has set another precedent. It became India’s first 100 percent organic state, with over 65,000 farmers choosing to forgo chemical fertilisers.
While plastic pollution and chemical use remain widespread challenges across the country, Lachen and Sikkim offer a different model — one that shows it is possible to balance human activity with environmental responsibility.
Sources:
‘Ban On Single Use Plastic, Rs 5K Fine: Mountain Village in Sikkim Shows The Way!’: by Rinchen Norbu Wangchuk, Published in The Better India on 19 December 2019.
‘Indian Himalayan Town Launches Reusable Bamboo Bottle Scheme For Tourists To Fight Plastic Waste’: by Sally Ho, Published in Green Queen on 5 March 2020.
‘Pioneer in plastic fight, Sikkim town is set to introduce bamboo bottles’: by Esha Roy, Published in The Indian Express on 1 March 2020.
‘Sikkim Says Goodbye to Plastic Water Bottles’: by Jhanavi Bhatt, Published in CN Traveller on 5 October 2021.
‘My Earth Day Story: The State of India That is Plastic-Free’: by Amrit Pal Singh, Published on 23 April 2022.
‘Zero Plastic Water Bottles Initiative’: by WWF India, Published on 4 June 2012.
‘Sikkim Ban on Use & Sale of Plastic Water Bottles Implemented’: by Rajeev Ravidas, Published in The Telegraph India on 2 January 2022.
‘India Chucks Around 3800 Tonnes of PET Plastic Bottles a Day’: by Sneha Mahale, Published in Moneycontrol on 11 June 2023.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: thebetterindia.com
