The Administration of UT of Ladakh on June 19, 2026, notified regarding the strict ban on single-use plastics and littering across Ladakh.
The following has been stated:
• The Administration of Ladakh, under the directions of Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena, has introduced a stringent enforcement framework banning the use, sale, storage, distribution, transportation, and supply of identified single-use plastic (SUP) items across the Union Territory. The initiative aims to protect Ladakh’s fragile Himalayan ecosystem and preserve its natural landscapes from the growing threat of plastic pollution.
• Under the new framework, any individual, commercial establishment, hotel, restaurant, or institution found violating the ban on single-use plastics will be liable to an environmental penalty of ₹10,000, while littering in public places will attract a penalty of ₹5,000. Random inspections for prohibited plastic items will also be conducted at Leh Airport and major entry points into Ladakh.
• The ban covers a wide range of single-use plastic products, including plastic cutlery, cups, plates, straws, trays, wrapping films, thermocol decorations, plastic flags, plastic stirrers, and plastic banners below the prescribed thickness. To ensure effective implementation, a broad range of district and field-level officials have been empowered to inspect premises, issue challans, recover penalties, and initiate enforcement actions. Authorities may rely on inspections, surprise checks, CCTV footage, photographs, videography, and other electronic evidence to prosecute violations.
• Officials authorized to enforce the ban include Sub-Divisional Magistrates, Tehsildars, Executive Magistrates, officers of the Ladakh Pollution Control Committee, Tourism Department officials, Panchayat and Municipal officers, Forest Department personnel, and members of the Environment Protection Force.
