Some vendors voluntarily deposited their stockpiles of plastic bags at the bank, officials said

The Hailakandi Municipal Board in south Assam's Barack valley has opened a plastic bank where citizens can go and deposit single-use plastic items.

The Hailakandi district administration had banned single-use plastic in August this year.

The initiative has been taken to bring about behaviour modification and to encourage an eco-friendly lifestyle, the Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Hailakandi district, Keerthi Jalli, said, after inaugurating the plastic bank on Friday.

"Under the 'Swachhata Hi Seva' campaign, single-use of plastic has been banned. We feel banning and penalising is the easier part. The bigger challenge is in bringing about behaviour modification and encouraging an eco-friendly lifestyle," said the Deputy Commissioner.

Urging the citizens to shun single-use plastic, she said water bottles made of plastic, water pouches and plastic covers would be collected by the bank.

The DC said that the items collected by the plastic bank will be sent to cement factories for recycling.

Following her appeal, some vendors voluntarily deposited their stockpiles of plastic bags at the bank, officials said on Saturday.

In return, the deputy commissioner gave them Bags made of paper and cloth.

Ms Jalli also urged the traders to discard single-use plastic and help the local SHGs by endorsing their handmade products for ushering in a healthy and wealthy Hailakandi.

In his speech on August 15, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged people to shun single-use plastic and encouraged usage of jute and cloth bags to protect the environment.

"By October 2, on the birth anniversary of dear Bapu (Mahatma Gandhi), I want to urge the citizens to give up single-use plastic," PM Modi said on the 73rd Independence Day while addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort.